Alex Ross's Wagnerism: Exploring the Intersection of Art, Politics, and Music

Manny M: Ross is our greatest living music critic writing in English and in this book, he shows his broad understanding of the cultural background as well as the music. Wagner, love him or hate him (I do both), is one of the most influential and important figures in western culture since the mid 19th century. Ross's deep reading of his music and of its many influences, is classic. Most writers on Wagner are strong on either the music or the culture, but Ross is an expert on both. Be prepared: once you've read Wagnerism, your reading list will expand. His analyses of Cather, visual art, and especially Thomas Mann, among other things, will keep me busy reading for years. I can't recommend this more highly. Thanks Alex for sharing.

United States on Jul 02, 2022

Anne Mills: This study of Wagner's cultural and political impact is fascinating, going right to the heart of the "Wagner Problem" that is a key focus. That is, how are we to deal with loving the music and detesting the man? Ross's study makes it unequivocally clear that Wagner was a ferocious anti-Semite and that he glorified German nationalism, at least in the latter part of his career. This had consequences, though there is a lot more debate about those than about the nature of Wagner's views, as Ross illustrates. The book also shows what a towering figure Wagner was in his time and afterwards, not just in Germany and not just in music, but across Europe and across the arts. The book is not an easy read (I was tempted to headline it "Exhaustive and Exhausting") but it is worth the effort. I learned a lot that I didn't know, and saw connections that I not known of. What I missed was more about the music. I love Ross's music criticism and his "The Rest is Noise", and wish there had been more in this book about Wagner's music. Maybe someday.

United States on Jan 03, 2022

Gregory: In affirmation of some of the critical statements here, this is not my favorite of Alex Ross' writings YET in terms of what I believe drove him to write it, I'm OK with all that. I like this kind of hard-to-pigeonhole book because in its roughshod form, it encourages the truly interested reader to "correct" it and "re-set" it into what it would best PERSONALLY be. As such, it backhandedly ENGAGES the reader thoroughly. (A similar experiencing was had by those of us who read Martin Green's similarly flawed but nonetheless important THE VON RICHTHOFEN SISTERS in way back in 1974) This book and it's trajectory has been needed for a long, long time. But the immediate Present is probably the best for its having appeared. It affirms what this reader for many a decade thought and felt concerning Wagner and his undeniable stain on us all. What was it that drove Ross to write and publish it? The best answer: purchase the book for yourself and read it attentively and carefully. Your subconscious mind will do the rest . . .

United States on Apr 07, 2021

John W: You do not have to love Wagner's music to appreciate this book, it's not even necessary to like it. This is excellent intellectual or cultural history depending on how you want to look at it. It looks at such a broad range of people who responded to Wagner's that, while a sense of the music and the ideas in Wagner's works are very helpful, the book is about much more than the man or his music. The research is creative, intelligent, and thorough, so much so that Ross should be considered much more than a journalist (I say that without intending to insult journalists, but as good as they may be at their craft, they are usually not through scholars - Ross is). Anyone familiar with his "The Rest is Noise" knows how good he is at bringing out connections between art and the major events of history - that art is, in fact, an integral part of those events. This study is even more specialized but also accessible and free of jargon. My field of study is African American History and I've also spent a lot of time researching LGBT+ history. I found myself time and again finding out something new about people and groups that I was already familiar with. Finally, I started with the audio book...

United States on Feb 09, 2021

Ian: This is a dense, comprehensive yet ultimately readable survey which restores Wagner and rescues him from the Nazis. Listening to Parsifal whilst reading, it convinces you that sometimes you really do need to separate the creator from the work of art, and appreciate the art for what it is.

United Kingdom on Dec 30, 2020

Madó: Todo bien

Spain on Nov 24, 2020

Jane Ennis: One of the best examinations of Wagner and his influence I have read. It mainly della with Wagner's influence on literature and the visual arts, discussing in detail the works of Thomas Mann, James Joyce, T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf, Willa Cather.....the list is endless. He also discusses Wagner's influence on cinema. He investigates in great detail the disastrous association of Wagner with Hitler, and how his grandsons, Wieland and Wolfgang, tried to repair the reputation of Bayreuth when the Festival re-opened in 1951. I especially liked tge discussion of Regietheater productions, starting with Patrice Chereau's Centenary RING in 1976. Highly recommened.

United Kingdom on Oct 28, 2020

Douglas R Findlay-Shirras: I've only just started this book and am only about 100 pages in to it but so far so good! I would have to say that it's a pretty erudite tome and takes a lot of getting used to but having seen and or listened to a lot of Wagner in my time I'm finding it very interesting. Mid to late 19th Centuary European geopolitical history.is not for the feint hearted and is the background to Wagner's life. So far it is highly recommended.

United Kingdom on Oct 24, 2020

BellaVoce: This is one of those sublime & rare books that sends you off down further rabbit holes forever once you’ve begun it! Well written, lovingly researched over a decade, the topic beautifully & widely served. A must for Wagner fans and edifying for culture & history lovers to trace creative lineage from late 1800s to present. Also of benefit to those remotely curious about Wagner & why his art matters. Highly recommended.

Canada on Oct 04, 2020