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missmethven's review
challenging
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, War, and Antisemitism
kirkdean547's review
4.0
Did not realize the influence of Wagner on art, politics, and culture-for better or for worse. A thoroughly researched and well-written book. Exhaustive at some points to the detriment of my attention span, but if I were a Wagner/music scholar, a must-read and must-have for my bookshelf.
carmenx9's review
5.0
5* because it's a great overview of Wagner's influence and those inspired by the composer in cultural and (non-musical) artistic spheres, but there is so much information here that I want to read more books going deeper on certain areas (e.g. film scores, LGBT+ readings)
stewardii's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Not a book about Wagner himself, but about his cultural impact. Granular detail, and naturally most interesting when talking about art and artists that I had a prior interest in.
Discussion of his political legacy is threaded throughout, and is tackled in a very level-headed way, which makes for the best reading in the book. His legacy is marred enough by his vile antisemitism; associations with the Nazi regime, sometimes overstated (the suggestion that his music was played at concentration camps, the book tells us, has shaky historical backing), are now so commonplace that strangely it becomes easier to appreciate his work in its own right knowing that those aspects of his character go constantly acknowledged.
It also persuaded me to listen to the Ring for the first time in my life, and I’m so glad of it.
Discussion of his political legacy is threaded throughout, and is tackled in a very level-headed way, which makes for the best reading in the book. His legacy is marred enough by his vile antisemitism; associations with the Nazi regime, sometimes overstated (the suggestion that his music was played at concentration camps, the book tells us, has shaky historical backing), are now so commonplace that strangely it becomes easier to appreciate his work in its own right knowing that those aspects of his character go constantly acknowledged.
It also persuaded me to listen to the Ring for the first time in my life, and I’m so glad of it.
blrosene's review
Really even-handed, nuanced look at Wagner's legacy. One of the original "problematic faves," very interesting to see how a wide variety of people reconciled the art with Wagner's politics.
emily_britton's review
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.75
Alex Ross' compendium of everything related to Wagner is eminently thorough and enjoyable. If, like many musicians, you struggle with many of the elements of Wagner's legacy, this is a great way to educate yourself as to how much that struggle is relevant and important. In neither content nor style is it an easy book, but it is worth the effort.