Description
Book SynopsisThat Wagner conceived of himself creatively as both man and woman is central to an understanding of his life and art. So argues Jean-Jacques Nattiez in this richly insightful work, where he draws from semiology, music criticism, and psychoanalysis to explore such topics as Wagner's theories of music drama, his anti-Semitism, and his psyche. Wagner
Trade Review"An extraordinarily helpful volume that will save untold hours of reference time for the student, the general reader, and the literary scholar."--The Modern Language Journal "A reference work of distinction which all who work in the field of literary studies will find extremely useful if not, indeed, indispensable."--Classical Journal "I consider this volume nearly as essential for any working poet as a good dictionary."--Judson Jerome, Writer's Digest "A work of scholarship, much humour and literary value."--The Times Literary Supplement "No handier one-volume compendium is now available to provide so much useful, authoritative material on the history, theory, and craft of imaginative writing."--Books Abroad "Nattiez's study--an exposition of the aesthetic of androgyny, its place in nineteenth-century thought, and its particular manifestation in Wagner's oeuvre--is breathtaking in the depth of its research and thoroughly persuasive in the connections it traces in the history of ideas... A dazzling display of argumentation, ... [offering] countless insights both profound and fascinating."--Barry Millington, Opera "Nattiez's synthetic approach to Wagner's theory and practice ... coupled with his profound understanding of the composer's life, make this volume a major contribution to Wagnerian studies... It is a highly enriching and most comprehensive treatment of Wagner the artist and the human being."--Steven R. Cerf, Wagner Notes "The book provides an analysis of Wagner that is both detailed and erudite. Nattiez is especially successful in describing the intellectual world in which Wagner worked... Wagnerians and scholars of contemporary hermeneutics will find much to enjoy here."--Peter J. Rabinowitz, Opera Quarterly
Table of ContentsPrefaceNote to the English EditionBibliographical NotePt. 1Androgyny and the Ring: From Theory to PracticeIntroduction to Part One: Mythic Narrative, Theoretical Discourse3Ch. 1The Theoretical Essays of 1849 to 185112Ch. 2Wieland the Smith43Ch. 3The Ring as a Mythic Account of the History of Music53Ch. 4Art as a Metaphor of Itself91Pt. 2Music and Poetry: The Metamorphoses of Wagnerian AndrogynyIntroduction to Part Two99Ch. 5Wagnerian Androgyny and Its Romantic Counterpart102Ch. 6Musica Triumphans (1851-1873)128Ch. 7The Return of Androgyny (1878-1883)163Conclusion to Part Two173Pt. 3Wagner and Androgynous HermeneuticsCh. 8Psychoanalyzing Wagner181Ch. 9Animus-Anima219Ch. 10Androgynous Structuralism236Ch. 11Marxism, Feminism, and Romanticism254Ch. 12Deconstruction or Restoration of Meaning?263Epilogue: Interpreting Wagner in the Age of Doubt275Catalog of Wagner's Writings303Notes323References339Index353
