MY LIFE WITH WAGNER

Chef d'orchestre dont la carrière brillante est principalement consacrée à l'oeuvre de Wagner, ce qui est exceptionnel. La perception d'un exécutant est authentique, loin du verbiage pédant de certains "critiques". Après avoir retracé sa vocation musicale précoce, l'auteur évoque l'aventure de Bayreuth et commente les opéras de Wagner notamment avec le souci de leur réceptivité acoustique. Livre facile d'accès, convenant aussi bien à une initiation à l'oeuvre qu'à la satisfaction de wagnériens confirmés.

This an absolute must read for wagnerians. He is gentle but firm in his criticisms of how classical music is dying and how the pit at Bayreuth has a muting effect on the orchestra. I read this book while attending Bayreuth and could hear what he was talking about. It is also a superb cultural history and very detailed in its descriptions of the wagner experience. Also excellent recommended recordings.

Fascinating; full of interesting insights and ideas, the product of devotion and profound expert knowledge

ワーグナーを初めドイツ音楽を振らせたら並ぶもののない名指揮者ティーレマンのワグナーの音楽とバイロイトの祝祭劇場に対する熱い思いが伝わってくる興味深い一冊である。一言で言えば、ワグナーの音楽と神秘的な力を持つ祝祭劇場によって育てられた一人の指揮者の成長物語である。原著はドイツ語で書かれたものであり、その英訳であるが、訳注も充実している。

Chri tian Thielemann is a first class conductor, whom we have seen at the Met and who is director of the Dresden Staatskapelle and frequent conductor at Bayreuth. He confesses in this book his love for Wagner, and I mean Wagner, not just Wagner music. Wagner music is extraordinary, unusual for its time and simply wonderful (act 2 of Tristan und Isolde, Die Walkure, etc.etc.). Thielemann talks a little bit about Wagner the man, who was as sordid as his music is splendid. His anti-Semitism is published (by Wagner), but Wagner t he man is left gone, and no mention is made except in passing that he stole the wives of the people; who helped him, had to change addresses every time he was full of debts, and he was often, too often. Yes, the music is wonderful, but the man is awful, and Thielemann loves him too much to treat him fairly. If you like his music ( I do), this book is for you. If you want to know how bad Wagner the man was. this is not it.