Richard Wagner's Beethoven (1870)

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Despite the growing global interest in Wagner, particularly around the bicentenary of his birth in 2013, his prose writings have not received much scholarly attention. His essay on Beethoven, written for the centenary of Beethoven's birth in 1870, primarily reflects Wagner's own views rather than those of Beethoven. It is seen as a key aesthetic statement of Wagner's later years, revisiting concepts from his earlier Zurich writings, particularly Oper und Drama, in light of his experiences with compositions like Tristan und Isolde and Der Ring des Nibelungen. The essay provides Wagner's most thorough interpretation of Schopenhauer's philosophy and its impact on his later works, influencing thinkers like Nietzsche. This text is crucial for understanding Wagnerian thought and late nineteenth-century musical aesthetics. Previously, English readers had to rely on two Victorian translations, but this new edition offers the German original alongside a fresh English translation on facing pages. It includes a substantial introduction that situates the essay within Wagner's later intellectual development and the political backdrop of the 1870s German Empire, along with comprehensive annotations and a bibliography. This edition is essential for historians, musicologists, and those interested in Wagner's philosophy and musical aesthetics.