The Cambridge Wagner Encyclopedia

Description

Richard Wagner is one of the most controversial figures in Western cultural history. He revolutionized not only opera but the very concept of art, and his works and ideas have had an immeasurable impact on both the cultural and political landscapes of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. From 'absolute music' to 'Zurich' and from 'Theodor Adorno' to 'Hermann Zumpe', the vividly-written entries of The Cambridge Wagner Encyclopedia have been contributed by recognized authorities and cover a comprehensive range of topics. More than eighty scholars from around the world, representing disciplines from history and philosophy to film studies and medicine, provide fascinating insights into Wagner's life, career and influence. Multiple appendices include listings of Wagner's works, historic productions, recordings and addresses where he lived, to round out a volume that will be an essential and reliable resource for enthusiasts and academics alike.

Nicholas Vazsonyi is Jesse Chapman Alcorn Memorial Professor of Foreign Languages and Professor of German and Comparative Literature, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of South Carolina. His first book, Lukacs Reads Goethe (1997), was followed by two edited volumes, one on German national identity formation between 1750 and 1871 (2000) and the other entitled Wagner's Meistersinger: Performance, History, Representation (2003). Another of his books, Richard Wagner: Self-Promotion and the Making of a Brand (2010, 2012), appeared in German translation as Richard Wagner: Entstehung einer Marke (2012). He is co-organizer with Anno Mungen (University of Bayreuth) of the WagnerWorldWide 2013 project, a series of linked lectures and conferences around the world, to be capped by an edited volume. In 2013, he joined the editorial team of the German journal wagnerspectrum.

'Of course, what you want to know is 'should I buy this book?' My instant reply is that if you have more than a passing interest in Wagner ... [then] buy this marvellous, unique work, filled with insights ... it would be impossible to believe this book should not find its way into the libraries of any English speaking school, college or university. And any undergraduate or graduate student composing a dissertation or thesis around Wagner would make a serious error to not refer to it - either for its clear exploration of ideas or as a source for further reading ... this is not only perhaps the best we could have asked for but the best that we can, or should expect to receive for a very long time - if ever.' The Wagnerian (the-wagnerian.com) 'This is very much the academic's Wagner, pinned out dry on the dissection table ... [an] impressive and information-packed volume.' Michael Scott Rohan, BBC Music Magazine 'If your shelves [are] already groaning under books about Wagner, I'm sorry to have to tell you there is another one which demands pride of place ... it is a testament to Nicholas Vazsonyi's dedication that there is not an iota of the composer's life and achievement which is not addressed in the ... pages of this compendious volume. The pleasures of the book are many ...' Barry Forshaw, Classical CD Choice 'This is a book to keep to hand for its astonishing richness. In a word: essential.' Classical Music '... [a] remarkably encyclopaedic volume ... buy this book ...' The Wagner Journal