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Art Life and Theories of Richard Wagner (Amateur Series)
Art Life and Theories of Richard Wagner - Amateur Series Author:Richard Wagner From the INTRODUCTION. — OUTSIDE of Germany, only the most devoted students of Wagner's theories have any true knowledge of him as a writer?or at all events, as a writer of anything beyond the texts of his operas. And even among those most interested, either as upholders or opponents of his beliefs, such knowledge has been confined to readers who... more » have a much better understanding of German than is sufficient to follow the general course of an ordinary treatise. Thus, although many have an excellent acquaintance with his ideas as interpreted by others, very few know them as interpreted by himself; and it is safe to say that only a small minority of those who take a keen interest in the new school, know of even the existence of the nine stout octavo volumes of "collected works," which entitle Wagner to the name of its first literary and philosophical expositor, as he is otherwise entitled to that of its first composer.
Only a few of his pamphlets, essays, and letters, have been translated into English. The essay on Beethoven (not included in this volume) has been translated in America, and I believe in England also; but it does not form a very appropriate or, indeed, a very inviting, introduction to Wagner's works. The letter on "The Music of the Future" was translated in England by Mr. Dannreuther, but the version is practically unknown to American readers, and attracted little attention at a time when Wagner had fewer English-speaking followers than now. The nine volumes present a great but rather formidable field of choice; the difficulty in selecting from them matter that will form a just exposition of the composer's theories, without alarming the reader by essays of unfit length and technicality, is very great; and these facts are perhaps the reasons why the present is, so far as I know, the first venture made in this direction;?they are certainly the reasons why my volume claims no higher title than that of "Miscellanies," and does not pretend to include more than enough to furnish a synopsis of Wagner's creed.« less