bibliography of about 350 entries (incomplete data), expansive index of names
and subjects. Note that #1972 has the same title.
1975.Wagner Handbook.Ed. Ulrich Müller and Peter Wapnewski. Trans. John
Deathridge. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard U.P., 1992. xv, 711p. ISBN 0-674-
94530-1. ML410 .W231 R55.
Originally Richard Wagner-Handbuch(Stuttgart: Alfred Kröner, 1986). A col-
lection of essays by various specialists, grouped in 23 topical sections. Cover-
age includes biographical views, Wagner research (a useful survey by John
Deathridge, with some defense of the maligned Alfred Lorenz), genesis and
reception studies, Wagner in literature and film, individual works, his influ-
ences (by Carl Dahlhaus), and the prose writings. Indexes of compositions and
prose writings, expansive general index. Bibliography of some 500 items is of
limited use because of incomplete data presented.
1976.The Wagner Compendium: A Guide to Wagner’s Life and Music.Ed. Barry
Millington. New York: Schirmer, 1992. 431p. ISBN 0-02-871359-1. ML410
.W23 .W12.
An interesting gathering of 18 essays by various scholars. Among the topics: a
chronology, a who’s who of Wagner’s contemporaries, the German historical
background, the intellectual climate, the musical background. Wagner as a
person (appearance, family, character, money, women, dealings with publish-
ers), myths and legends (one is that the Wagner bibliography is the largest of
any musician—but this revisionist negation is not supported with data), Wag-
ner’s opinions, the sources for Wagner research, a Wagner glossary (with some
uncommon terms: Kunstreligion, Naturmotiv,quadratic melody, Wahn), melodic
style, composing method, Wagner as librettist, program notes on the operas
(nothing new—40 pages could have been saved), the prose works, orchestra-
tion, performance practice, reception and influence. The highlight of the volume
is a strong bibliographic essay (p.402–410), topically divided. Christopher
Wintle’s summary of analytic schools and landmarks is especially valuable.
Stewart Spencer’s overview of research laments the lack of an adequate bibli-
ography of writings on Wagner, the deficient editions of his prose works and
letters, and the lack of a focal point in any significant scholarly journal.
(Spencer does not cite Wagner[#1978], but editor Millington adds a note about
it.) This bibliographic summary is connected, unfortunately, to yet another of
those bibliographies with incomplete publication information (about 600
items). Expansive index.Periodicals
1977.Richard Wagner Jahrbuch.Leipzig, 1906–1913. Successor to Richard Wagner
Jahrbuch. Stuttgart, 1886 (one volume published).
1978.Wagner. 1–, 1980–. London: Wagner Society, 1980–. 3 per year. ISSN 0963-
3332.
Frequency and place of publication vary. Footnoted articles and useful book
reviews. The London Wagner Society also issues Wagner News(6 per year;
ISSN 0263-3248), which gives an international calendar of events, reviews of
books and recordings, and other notices.368 Opera