Few composers embodied wider cultural interests than Wagner or had greater cultural consequences. This is the first collection to examine directly the rich array of intellectual, social and cultural contexts within which Wagner worked. Alongside fresh accounts of historical topics, from spa culture to racial theory, sentient bodies to stage technology, America to Spain, it casts an eye forward to contexts of Wagner's ongoing reception, from video gaming to sound recording, Israel to Friedrich Kittler, and twenty-first century warfare. The collection brings together an international cast of leading authorities and new voices. Its 42 short chapters offer a reader-friendly way into Wagner studies, with authoritative studies of central topics set alongside emerging new fields. It sheds new light on previously neglected individuals such as Minna Wagner, Theodor Herzl and Houston Stewart Chamberlain, and investigates the global circulation of Wagner's works, his approach to money, and the controversies that continue to accompany him.

Approachable, concise chapters from a wide range of perspectives illuminate this complex figure along with his contemporary and current contexts.

About the Author
David Trippett is Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Christ's College. He is author of Wagner's Melodies (2013), is the recipient of the Lockwood and Einstein awards from the American Musicological Society, and has edited collected volumes on music in digital culture, and music and science.

Reviews
'Trippett has done an excellent job in assembling the volume ... A rewarding read and an ambitious, serious and open-minded addition to the Wagner literature.' Hugo Shirley, Gramophone
'An excellent resource for those in music and other fields interested in an introduction to Wagner studies ... Highly recommended.' B. Doherty, CHOICE



Book Information
ISBN 9781108836463
Author David Trippett
Format Hardback
Page Count 484
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 850g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 159mm * 31mm