Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung by Stewart Spencer, Barry Millington, Richard Wagner
|
Book Summary Author: Barry Millington, Richard Wagner, Stewart Spencer Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Unknown); German (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2010-10 ISBN: 0500281947 Number of pages: 384 Publisher: Thames & Hudson |
| New | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $19.06 | ||
| Used | Used Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $6.19 |
Your purchase is protected by the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee. Amazon.com automatically transfers your payment to the merchant so you'll never need to pay a merchant directly. Amazon.com A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee covers both the delivery of your item and its condition upon receipt.
Book Reviews of the Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung
Customer Review: Great addition to any Wagner library
Summary: 5 Stars
This book would be an excellent addition to anyone interesting in Wagner's Ring cycle for a number of reasons.
First, the translation, which takes up three quarters of the book, is well done, with German and English directly compared on a line by line basis, complete with alternate or discarded or rejected versions of the libretto included in an appendix. The translation itself seems outstanding; some of Wagner's phrasing is difficult or impossible to directly translate into English, but even in the most convoluted or confusing cases the result is clear and compelling.
Second, there is a thematic guide to many of the most important leitmotifs Wagner developed (67 in this case), and in the translation of the libretto the authors have noted where these occur on a line by line, or sequential basis. This is of tremendous help as a reference for further study when listening and relistening to the music.
Third, while there is only little commentary on the operas and on Wagner's compositional journey through the Ring, there are a few photos from past performances, comparing vastly different sets for the same scenes, which are interesting. There could have been quite a bit more of this.
Finally, the glossary of character names could be useful to the student.
Overall, this is an excellent resource and reference to use while listening to the Ring, and for analyzing Wagner's libretto itself.