From Library Journal
Magee, a British writer on philosophy, music, and theater criticism and a former member of Parliament, has made a remarkable contribution to the already extensive literature on the life and works of Wagner. His central thesis that Wagner's intense study of philosophy had a profound influence on his compositions is lucidly presented in 17 chapters, each rich with historical detail and intellectual discourse. The chapters proceed in rough chronological sequence; we first read of the young Wagner as a left-wing revolutionary and end with his mature, complex relationship with Nietzsche. In the central part of the book, Magee provides an overview of Schopenhauer's philosophy and reveals the extent to which Wagner completely overhauled his own values in order to embrace that thinker's world view. Readers to whom all this may appear somewhat arcane and daunting will be pleasantly surprised by the eminently readable nature of the book. Magee's text is not only illuminating but also highly personal and enormously engaging. The lengthy appendix, in which he tackles head-on the thorny issue of Wagner's anti-Semitism, is a brilliant, balanced discussion and is alone worth the price of the book. Throughout, Magee cites myriad secondary sources but includes no bibliography. Despite this omission, this work is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries. Those readers already passionate about Wagner's works will find new reasons to appreciate them, and those who have avoided his music will find the book a revelation and may be inspired to rethink their phobia. Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, PA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Because of Wagner's reputation as a proto-Nazi, many music lovers avoid his work-- or enjoy it as a guilty pleasure. Yes, Wagner did indulge in odious anti-Semitism, and, yes, Hitler adored his music. But Magee convincingly demonstrates that Wagner kept his anti-Semitism out of his music and that most Nazi leaders regarded the composer's works as antithetical to their movement. The young Wagner advocated the radical politics of the left, and when he subsequently abandoned the revolution, he did so not to embrace the politics of the right but rather to repudiate all political thought in favor of metaphysics. Those metaphysics bear the distinctive marks of Schopenhauer, credited by Magee with inspiring the composer to otherwise unattainable operatic feats (in, for instance, Tristan und Isolde and Parsifal). Yet unlike any other creative artist, Wagner contributed as much to philosophy as he took from it, decisively shaping his friend Nietzsche's views through sheer strength of character. A carefully researched account of a fiery personality who transmuted daunting ideas into compelling art. Bryce Christensen
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FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Richard Wagner's wildly enthusiastic devotees have ranged from the most subtle and intelligent minds (Marcel Proust) to the most crudely brutal (Adolf Hitler). The enduring fascination of his works arises not only from his singular fusion of musical innovation and theatrical daring, but also from his largely overlooked engagement with the boldest investigations of modern philosophy." Now, in this book, Bryan Magee, a distinguished Wagnerian and a teacher of philosophy, traces the composer's involvement in the intellectual guests of his age, from his youthful embrace of revolutionary socialism, to a Schopenhauerian rejection of the world as illusion, to the near-Buddhist resignation of his final years. Mapping the influence of ideas on Wagner's art, Magee shows how abstract thought can permeate musical work and stimulate creations of great power and beauty. With sympathy and perception, he explores the relationship between words and music, mind and feeling, conscious and unconscious motivations. And he unflinchingly confronts the Wagner whose paranoia, egocentricity, and anti-Semitism are as repugnant as his achievements are glorious.

FROM THE CRITICS

Lawson Taitte - The New York Times Book Review

A limpid stylist . . . [with] an uncanny ability to make philosophical positions clear to the nonprofessional reader.

John Rockwell - The New York Times

Enlightening, exciting . . . The Tristan Chord is quite simply indispensable . . .

Literary Review

Magee has opened up Wagner's intellectual world like no one before him.

Lawson Taitte - The New York Times Book Review

A limpid stylist . . . [with] an uncanny ability to make philosophical positions clear to the nonprofessional reader.

John Rockwell - The New York Times