Wagner's Ring Cycle and the Greeks

Daniel H. Foster is Assistant Professor of Theater Studies at Duke University, and Visiting Scholar at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

• Preface; Introduction; Part I. Epic: 1. Introduction: what is epic?; 2. Retrospective narrative and the epic process; 3. The orchestral narrator and elementary epic; 4. Spiritual and factual realities in epic; Part II. Lyric: 5. Introduction: what is lyric?; 6. Orpheus and lyric liberation; 7. First-person opera and lyric identity; 8. Lyric and the rebirth of tragedy; Part III. Drama: 9. Introduction: what is drama?; 10. Opera and tragedy; 11. Opera and comedy; 12. Resolution and ambiguity in comedy and tragedy; Epilogue: Time, the Ring, and performance studies; Appendices: Wagner's primary and secondary sources: Introduction; Appendix A. Wagner's primary sources; Appendix B. secondary scholarship by authors Wagner knew personally; Appendix C. Secondary scholarship by authors Wagner knew by reputation or by reading; Bibliography.

'A highly recommended addition to any Wagnerite's library' Classical Music