Wagner is perhaps as renowned for controversy he inspires as for his music. The Wagner Compendium presents a comprehensive survey of the man, his ocuvre and his times. The musical and intellectual background and influences which helped shape the Wagnerian canon are considered along with the historical context of German unification and the creation of Bismarck's Reich. Wagner's character, opinions, and his behaviour towards women and Jews - the principal sources of the notoriety which has dogged him - are fully examined, and there is a special chapter on 'Myths and Legends' wittily correcting the extraordinary misconceptions with which Wagner has become associated. The operas, orchestral and choral music are analysed together with the lesser-known works for solo voice, the piano music, and the projected operas - intriguingly left uncompleted. Wagner's musical and literary style are treated in depth, as are the sources that throw light on both the man and his work. Chapters on orchestration and Wagner in performance are complemented by accounts of the reception and influence of his music.
A detailed bibliography accompanies the most complete list ever published of his writings, speeches, open letters and reviews, as well as a glossary explaining the meanings and significance of Wagnerian terms, a calendar of his life and a Who's Who of his contemporaries.