Theology of Wagner's Ring Cycle / Richard H. Bell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bell, Richard H., author.

Contributor:

Alfred Reginald Allen Memorial Fund of The Savoy Company.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883.

Wagner, Richard.

Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. Ring des Nibelungen.

Music--Religious aspects.

Music.

Theology.

Physical Description:

2 volumes : illustrations, music ; 26 cm

Other Title:

The genesis and development of the tetralogy and the appropriation of sources, artists, philosophers, and theologians.

Theological and ethical issues.

Place of Publication:

Eugene, Oregon : Cascade Books, 2020.

Summary:

(Vol 1.) Wagner's Ring is one of the greatest of all artworks of Western civilization, but what is it all about? The power and mystery of Wagner's creation was such that he himself felt he stood before his work "as though before some puzzle." A clue to the Ring's greatness lies in its multiple avenues of self-disclosure and the corresponding plethora of interpretations that over the years has granted ample scope for directors and will no doubt do so well into the distant future. One possible interpretation, which Richard Bell argues should be taken seriously, is the Ring as Christian theology. In this first of two volumes, Bell considers, among other things, how the composer's Christian interests may be detected in the "forging" of his Ring, looking at how he appropriated his sources (whether they be myths and sagas, writers, poets, or philosophers) and considering works composed around the same time, especially his Jesus of Nazareth. -- back cover.

(Vol. 2) Wagner's Ring addresses fundamental concerns that have faced humanity down the centuries, such as power and violence, love and death, freedom and fate. Further, the work seems particularly relevant today, addressing as it does the fresh debates around the created order, politics, gender, and sexuality. In this second of two volumes on the theology of the Ring, Richard Bell argues that Wagner's approach to these issues may open up new ways forward and offer a fresh perspective on some of the traditional questions of theology, such as sacrifice, redemption, and fundamental questions about God. A linchpin for Bell's approach is viewing the Ring in the light of the Jesus of Nazareth sketches, which, he argues, confirms that the artwork does indeed address questions of Christian theology, both for those inside and those outside the church. -- back cover.

Contents:

I : The genesis and development of the tetralogy and the appropriation of sources, artists, philosophers, and theologians

II : Theological and ethical issues.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Alfred Reginald Allen Memorial Fund of The Savoy Company.

ISBN:

9781498235631

1498235638

9781498235723

1498235727

OCLC:

1143436967

Publisher Number:

99984149133