"The Greeks had got it right, he said. Their drama was a communal act, a sacred event, in which the ancient stories of the tribe were played out, enab"The Greeks had got it right, he said. Their drama was a communal act, a sacred event, in which the ancient stories of the tribe were played out, enabling the audience to confront the deepest, most sublime and most terrible truths of human life, producing a profound, an overwhelming, release - a catharsis - which was the whole point of the drama"
Simon Callow has managed to write an entertaining and often surreal portrait of Wagner as a man. It doesn't go as deep as the work by Magee or Scruton but if you are looking for a brief book which provides an overview of his life, you've come to the right place. Callow has a tendency to believe Wagner too much though since this biography heavily relies on Wagners own biography, My life. Having said that it is incredible what a dramatic life he lead and what he managed to accomplish. He was an inveterate gambler who took enormous risks and somehow managed to come out winning in the end. I wouldn't say he was a particularly likeable person. He seems more to attract people to him by his sheer force of personality and use them ruthlessly to accomplish his own goals.
Callow focuses on Wagner the dramatist and therefore gives a shallower account of what he actually read. I suppose that you can read Bryan Magee if you want to know more about that. Seeing as how I was interested in how Wagner managed to dramatise his ideas, this was a rewarding read. I do think it is hard to understand Wagner without understanding the music as the two often go hand in hand. All in all, an entertaining read. ...more
This is mandatory reading for a course I want to take in directing opera. The author is a famous opera director who recounts his life and his process.This is mandatory reading for a course I want to take in directing opera. The author is a famous opera director who recounts his life and his process. I liked it although I would have liked a much more in depth description of how the work is actually done. ...more
Great introduction to the Weltanschauung of Wagner. It really manages to penetrate the depth of his psyche and give you a deeper understanding of his Great introduction to the Weltanschauung of Wagner. It really manages to penetrate the depth of his psyche and give you a deeper understanding of his work as a whole. The only drawbacks is that the work at times can be quite panegyric but I would say that the strengths vastly outweigh its weaknesses. ...more
Loading...
