WAGNERISM Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music

NEW YORKER music writer and author of acclaimed books Alex Ross offers a sweeping examination of how Richard Wagner's operas broke musical barriers and intersected with the culture of Belle poch Europe and the politics of Nazi Germany. As he delivers this 28-hour presentation of his latest book, Ross's vocal tone and vocal confidence fall short of the ideal. And despite his serviceable articulation and phrasing, fans of Ross's writing will notice that his musical insights, characteristically expressed in complex sentences full of context and esoteric details, seem less accessible in spoken-word format. But for Wagner devotees and students of philosophy and the arts, Ross's performance is good enough. The vast supply of knowledge about the writers, artists, and political figures of Wagner's era herein makes this audiobook a treasure trove of musical and cultural insights. T.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2020]