I am indebted to Messrs. H. Grevel & Co. for kind permission to print extracts from Mr. Shedlock's translation of Wagner's Letters, and to Messrs. Novello for similar permission regarding quotations from the libretti of the operas. Two words may be said about the quotations, both words and music, of the operas: in some cases, when I could neither find nor make an adequate translation of verses, I have stuck to the original German; with regard to the music, I have given as little as possible. Both musical and verbal citations are meant for reference—there is only one exception, the Sailors' Song from the opening of Tristan. Catalogues of Wagner's themes have for long been issued by several publishers; but they are of small assistance in helping one to understand Wagner.
J.F.R.
CONTENTS
| [CHAPTER I] | EARLY LIFE |
| [CHAPTER II] | EARLY BOYHOOD |
| [CHAPTER III] | EARLY LIFE (continued) |
| [CHAPTER IV] | JUVENILE WORKS |
| [CHAPTER V] | PARIS |
| [CHAPTER VI] | 'RIENZI' AND 'THE FLYING DUTCHMAN' |
| [CHAPTER VII] | DRESDEN |
| [CHAPTER VIII] | 'TANNHÄUSER' |
| [CHAPTER IX] | 'LOHENGRIN' |
| [CHAPTER X] | EXILE |
| [CHAPTER XI] | 'TRISTAN AND ISOLDA' |
| [CHAPTER XII] | 'THE MASTERSINGERS OF NUREMBERG' |
| [CHAPTER XIII] | KING LUDWIG |
| [CHAPTER XIV] | 'THE NIBELUNG'S RING' AND THE RHINEGOLD' |
| [CHAPTER XV] | 'THE VALKYRIE' |
| [CHAPTER XVI] | 'SIEGFRIED' |
| [CHAPTER XVII] | 'THE DUSK OF THE GODS' |
| [CHAPTER XVIII] | 'PARSIFAL'; THE END; THE MAN |
| [INDEX] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
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[PORTRAIT OF WAGNER] (Photogravure) [WAGNER'S BIRTHPLACE]: The Sign of the Red And White Lion, on The Brühl, Leipzig [THE WAGNER THEATRE] at Bayreuth [LISZT] (From life and on stone by N. Hanhart) [WAGNER] (From the portrait by A.F. Pecht) [KING LUDWIG OF BAVARIA] [WAGNER IN 1877] [PALAZZO VENDRAMIN CALERGI, VENICE], where Wagner died, Feb. 13, 1883 [CARL TAUSIG] |