William Kinderman Libros

"William Kinderman's detailed study of Parsifal, described by the composer as his "last card," explores the evolution of the text and music of this inexhaustible yet highly controversial music drama across Wagner's entire career, and offers a reassessment of the ideological and political history of Parsifal, shedding new light on the connection of Wagner's legacy to the rise of National Socialism in Germany. The compositional genesis is traced through many unfamiliar manuscript sources, revealing unsuspected models and veiled connections to Wagner's earlier works. Fresh analytic perspectives are revealed, casting the dramatic meaning of Parsifal in a new light. Much debated aspects of the work, such as Kundry's death at the conclusion, are discussed in the context of its stage history."--book jacket.

"Ludwig van Beethoven entered university the year that the French Revolution broke out. He went on to live through the Reign of Terror, the rise and fall of Napoleon, the battles of Wagram and Leipzig, and the era of political repression following the Congress of Vienna. Interpretations of Beethoven's music have tended to emphasize the composer's personal suffering and inner struggles over the political resonance of his work. Yet, as William Kinderman's brilliantly written study shows, Beethoven's life and art were shaped in far-reaching ways by the turbulence of his era. Starting with the composer's formative years in Bonn, Kinderman reevaluates the political implications of Beethoven's art, revealing how musical tensions in his major works symbolically played out the real-world struggles of his time. Written for the 250th anniversary of his birth, the book also takes stock of Beethoven's legacy, assessing his growing worldwide appeal amid the political challenges that confront us today. Kinderman movingly considers how the Fifth Symphony helped galvanize resistance to fascism, how the Sixth has energized the environmental movement, and how Beethoven's civic engagement will continue to inspire in politically perilous times"--