tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post1874060302890283518..comments2024-03-28T21:32:26.550+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: Thirty-fifth Anniversary of the Four-Day Wagner Ring-FestBruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-80380808845751991362014-06-17T18:24:27.852+01:002014-06-17T18:24:27.852+01:00For the record, I'm David Gress who is writing...For the record, I'm David Gress who is writing a book on Tolkien in Danish. I'm stuck with this ID on Google.<br /><br />We'll just have to agree to disagree about the post-gap Wagner. I have a close friend who is a serious Wagnerite and I can't wait to put to him your view of "GD" as a regression to RW's earliest style. Don't worry, I won't name you!tweedyprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10507830377434312155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-15235516724618933152014-06-17T18:12:39.483+01:002014-06-17T18:12:39.483+01:00@TP - You are welcome to your appreciation! But fr...@TP - You are welcome to your appreciation! But from my perspective, during the gap in composition in Siegfried, Wagner 'lost it' and never did anything as good ever again. Tristan was great in parts - in its sickly and hope-sapping way - but I cannot enjoy Meistersinger or Parsifal; G seems like a regression to the pseudo-Italianate style of his early years (I recall this was also the view of G. expressed by GB Shaw in The Perfect Wagnerite). Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-5367985278563439542014-06-17T18:02:37.877+01:002014-06-17T18:02:37.877+01:00I know exactly what you mean about the four parts ...I know exactly what you mean about the four parts of the "Ring." However, without the end, the beginning makes no sense. The reason that the music seems to -- and does -- fracture in "Götterdämmerung" is that the entire world, and especially Wotan's ambitions for it, are fracturing. The music exactly describes the end of order. This begins even in "Rhinegold," notably with Alberich's curse motive, which gets bigger and darker as the tale proceeds.<br /><br />"Götterdämmerung" is the summing-up and conclusion to all and contains the greatest music.tweedyprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10507830377434312155noreply@blogger.com