Wagner And Philosophy

This book follows the story of Wagner, from his enthusiastic youthful socialism to the near-Buddhistic resignation of his final years - and always in terms first and foremost of the effect of the ideas on his operas. It explores the relationship between words and music, between the conscious and the unconscious mind, between art and philosophy. It deals also with his long and intimate friendship with the much younger Nietzche.This major new book, by one of Britain's leading Wagnerians and teachers of philosophy, brings together those two interests to make a substantial, original and wonderfully lucid contribution to the literature on the composer.