Wagner’s Ring by John L. DiGaetani

Published : September 05, 2010 :: 17:09:43 [ 2,163 views ]

Wagner’s Ring by John L. DiGaetani

Wagner was a man of dirty habits and indulged in a very poor diet. He was a grouchy miserable old soul and sometimes stayed in bed for days without washing.

Its dark passages, sublime textures and its climatic final moments would leave a person spent and exhausted. Nothing can prepare you for the ‘Ring’. John L. DiGaetani succeeds in probing deep into Wagner’s Ring and what it takes to penetrate it.

This is a masterful piece of work on musical scholarships and will no doubt influence appreciation of Wagner’s Ring for many years.

John DiGaetani argues that the size of Wagner’s Ring was an act of will, that it grew into something so enormous and troublesome, that it was an attempt to obliterate everything that had happened before that drove him to inserting swords, anvils, spears and a giant worm.

Among the highlights are the many characters that Wagner successfully crammed into his Ring, from giants to dwarves and the specially designed brass instruments specifically for insertion.

The greatest achievement is the section whereby the author gives guidance on how the Ring can relate to today’s audiences. One passage guides us through Siegfried’s death as he is impaled in the back by the burly Hagen, dying in a state of adoration and bliss.

This book describes all aspects of the ‘Ring’, from its tightness to its dark and deeply concealed elements.

Sarah Goldman