Wagner And Beethoven

Klaus Kropfinger, Translated by Peter Palmer

This book analyses the lifelong impact of Beethoven’s music on Wagner and its importance for his conception of music drama. Kropfinger charts and scrutinises Wagner’s early responses to the composer and considers his experience as a conductor of Beethoven’s music. A discussion of the Romantic ‘Beethoven image’ leads to a careful study of Wagner’s aesthetic writings, including his ‘programmatic explanations’, the text ‘Concerning Franz Liszts symphonic poems’, and his Beethoven centenary essay. The penultimate chapter addresses Wagner‘s theory and practice of music drama which he came to regard as the preordained successor to the Beethovenian symphony. Through his study, Kropfinger offers a fresh understanding of Wagner, music drama, and the development of musical structures.

Bibliographic Details

Contents

• Preface
• Additional acknowledgements
• Key to German and English sigla
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Wagners experience of Beethoven
• 3. The romantic background and Beethoven biography
• 4. Beethovens role in Wagners writings on art
• 5. Wagners theory and construction of music drama
• 6. Wagner as Beethovens heir
• Bibliography
• Index of names and subjects.