Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter I
2. Contents VII
3. I. Wagner’s Enthusiasm for Greek, and His Genius for Dramatic Expression in Music 1
4. II. Do Wagner’s Dramas Uphold the Doctrine of Might or the Doctrine of Self-Sacrifice? 6
5. III. Greek Influence and Greek Parallels in Wagner’s Work 12
6. IV. The Oresteia and the Ring of the Nibelung: Dramas of Crime and Atonement 20
7. V. The Conclusion of the Meistersinger and the Conclusion of the Eumenides: Two Remarkable Reconciliations 44
8. VI. Ajax and Amfortas: The Fallen Heroes 47
9. VII. Isolde and Phaedra: Reluctant Confessions of Love 51
10. VIII. Wagner’s Music and the Parodos of the Seven Against Thebes 55
11. IX. Wagner's Use of the Orchestra as a Medium for Poetic Expression 61
12. X. Orchestral and Choral Preludes 75
13. XI. Orchestral and Choral Conclusions 81
14. XII. Long Scenes and Speeches 86
15. XIII. A Few Remarks on Rhythms 90
16. XIV. Points of Resemblance Between Wagner and the Greek Tragic Poets 95
17. Bibliography 97