Hans von Bülow

Kenneth Birkin is an internationally recognised Richard Strauss scholar, and is the author of Friedenberg and Daphne (1989), Arabella (1989) and British Music: Elgar and After (1997), and the editor of Stefan Zweig – Joseph Gregor Correspondence 1921–1938 (1991). His work has appeared in many journals including Music and Letters, Opera Magazine, The Musical Times and Tempo. He has written and presented programmes for BBC Radio 3 and is the librettist of British composer John Joubert's three-act opera Jane Eyre.

• Introduction; 1. Overture: Dresden, Leipzig, Stuttgart (1830–1848); 2. The student years: Leipzig, Berlin (1848–1850); 3. Decision time: Weimar-Zürich (1850–1851); 4. Weimar apprenticeship (1851–1853); 5. The young virtuoso: Austro-Hungary (1853–1854); 6. Polish interlude (1854–1855); 7. The pedagogue: Berlin I (1855–1857); 8. 'Gallant hotspur': Berlin II (1857–1859); 9. Rebel maturity: Berlin III (1859–1864); 10. The Wagner years: Munich (1864–1869); 11. A new start: Florence (1869–1873); 12. Triumph and betrayal - on tour: England and Russia (1873–1875); 13. Transatlantic adventure (1875–1876); 14. Convalescent interlude (June 1876–September 1877); 15. Bülow redux: Hanover, Glasgow (1877–1878); 16. Kapellmeister in Hanover (1877–1879); 17. Intendant in Meiningen (1880–1885); 18. The Philharmonic years I (1886–1889) Hamburg/Bremen/Berlin; 19. The Philharmonic years II (1889–1890) America again/domestic crisis; 20. The Philharmonic years III (1890–1892) Hamburg/Berlin; 21. The Philharmonic years IV (1892–1894): Finale; Afterword: Bülow and Bayreuth; Appendix: Bülow performance chronology; Select bibliography.