(WAGNER) - BENVENGA, NANCY:
Kingdom of the Rhine. History, Myth and Legend in Wagner's Ring.
Harwich; Anton Press, 1983. (4, 2 blanks) + [v] + 180 pp. + 4 leaves with plates. Original pictorial wrappers. Fine. ''...I want to emphasise that this study of the historical precedents for the characters and events of the Ring Cycle does not propose to be another interpretation of the tetralogy: it does not promise the reader any profound new insights into the ''meaning'' of Wagner's work. This would, at any rate, be impossible, by reason of the fact that the concentration on history will not allow for an equal look at all parts of The Ring; rather, the scrutinising spotlight will shine most strongly on Götterdämmerung and to a somewhat lesser extent on Siegfried and Die Walküre. The chief intention with this study is that an increased knowledge of the evolutionary process of certain aspects of The Ring, arrived at through a ''confrontation'' between Wagne's characters and their ultimate historical models, may enrich the reader's enjoyment and appreciation of Wagner's greatest masterpiece.'' (Foreword).
· PAT10599 · Patrik Andersson Antikvariat, Lund (SE) ·
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