Being Wagner: The Story of the Most Provocative Composer Who Ever Lived

Don't look here for an in-depth analysis of "The Ring," or for analyses of any of Wagner's works, for that matter. This book is all about Wagner, the man. Callow, himself an actor, has an uncanny ability to get inside the Master's skin, to give an inside-out picture of what it was like Being Wagner. Callow adds details to already familiar accounts of this most storied life such as the time Wagner ate too much ice cream in Italy, got sick from it, and took that famous nap in which he dreamed he was drowning, out of which the E flat major of the "Rhinegold” prelude was born. And then, there is the detail about the extremely painful open sores on his legs when he was composing the first part of “The Ring.” Wagner's life is very familiar to us but Callow's telling of it shows just how it is more dramatic than most novels in its twists and turns and roller-coaster ups and downs. What novel could make us believe that a deus-ex-machina king steps in to save the protagonist just when he is at his lowest ebb? That it actually happened, most of us would find as a stretch,outside of a fairy tale. And , for an ironic twist to the story, Wagner got the news of King Ludwig's summons to his court on the same day Meyerbeer died, whom Wagner had perceived to be his enemy. With his”enemy” dead and a king head over heels for him, one would think “happily ever after,” but no, this is Wagner, for whom, like the Flying Dutchman turbulence was the norm. Callow relates much of that turbulence with fascinating details, which with Callow's narrative gifts make even more interesting this amazing story of a man going from penury to rich silk and satin undergarments, from obscurity to royal homage, from rejection to apotheosis, and from being a firebrand revolutionary on the barricades to Buddhist transcendence. Callow compels the reader to live through the unbelievable arc of Wagner's creative life from his being a political and creative outcast to the only composer-- ever-- to own an opera house designed specifically by him for his , and only his, compositions, an opera house to which, over the years,thousands would make pilgrimage. The book is highly readable. Great for a read on an airplane, night time reading, or for a serious escape to the study with a glass of brandy. It is to be enjoyed as if it were a thrilling novel. I have read it several times. If I pick it up to check a passage against my memory, I am hooked and have to read the entire thing all over again. I have bought two more copies to pass along to friends. For a long time I held back on buying it because I had read that Callow spends a lot of time presenting the anti-Semitism of Wagner. He does seem to never let an opportunity pass to slip that in, but it is not front and center as the "author's message." The message is the man, and the anti-Semitism is part of the man of infinite contradictions, a man of unequaled genius, accompanied by unequaled drive, plagued by physical ailments, and yes, a sense of humor and at times, a childlike joy. He presents Wagner in such a dramatic fashion that when I turned the page for the final chapter, I was profoundly struck by the sketch of Wagner's face in death, a face with an agonized expression, with all the struggles and disappointments etched deeply into it. The sketch shows a man who had died as Callow says,”of being Wagner.” I highly recommend this as a beginner's first book on Wagner or for seasoned Wagnerians looking for a fresh perspective. I have both hardcover and paperback, and both are nicely bound and easy to hold and carry.

Don't look here for an in-depth analysis of "The Ring," or for analyses of any of Wagner's works, for that matter. This book is all about Wagner, the man. Callow, himself an actor, has an uncanny ability to get inside the Master's skin, to give an inside-out picture of what it was like Being Wagner. Callow adds details to already familiar accounts of this most storied life such as the time Wagner ate too much ice cream in Italy, got sick from it, and took that famous nap in which he dreamed he was drowning, out of which the E flat major of the "Rhinegold” prelude was born. And then, there is the detail about the extremely painful open sores on his legs when he was composing the first part of “The Ring.” Wagner's life is very familiar to us but Callow's telling of it shows just how it is more dramatic than most novels in its twists and turns and roller-coaster ups and downs. What novel could make us believe that a deus-ex-machina king steps in to save the protagonist just when he is at his lowest ebb? That it actually happened, most of us would find as a stretch,outside of a fairy tale. And , for an ironic twist to the story, Wagner got the news of King Ludwig's summons to his court on the same day Meyerbeer died.(Wagner perceived Meyerbeer as his enemy.) With his”enemy” dead and a king head over heels for him, one would think “happily ever after,” but no, this is Wagner, for whom,Daland like, turbulence was the norm. Callow relates much of that turbulence with fascinating details. These details and Callow's narrative gifts make even more interesting this amazing story of a man going from penury to rich silk and satin undergarments, from obscurity to royal homage, from rejection to apotheosis, and from being a firebrand revolutionary on the barricades to Buddhist transcendence. The reader lives through the unbelievable arc of Wagner's creative life from his being a political and creative outcast to the only composer-- ever-- to own an opera house designed specifically by him for his , and only his, compositions, an opera house to which, over the years,thousands would make pilgrimage. The book is highly readable. Great for a read on an airplane, night time reading, or for a serious escape to the study with a glass of brandy. It is to be enjoyed as if it were a thrilling novel. I have read it several times. If I pick it up to check a passage against my memory, I am hooked and have to read the entire thing all over again. I have bought two more copies to pass along to friends. I held back for a long time on buying it at all because I had read that Callow spends a lot of time presenting the anti-Semitism of Wagner. He does seem to never let an opportunity pass to slip that in, but it is not front and center as the "author's message." The message is the man, and the anti-Semitism is part of the man of infinite contradictions, a man of unequaled genius, accompanied by unequaled drive, plagued by physical ailments, and yes, a sense of humor and at times, a childlike joy. He presents Wagner in such a dramatic fashion that when I turned the page for the final chapter, I was profoundly struck by the sketch of Wagner's face in death, a face with an agonized expression, still at war with the world, who had died as Callow says,”of being Wagner.” I highly recommend this as a beginner's first book on Wagner or for seasoned Wagnerians looking for a fresh perspective. The hardcover is a handsome little volume that fits nicely in the hand.

This book is a ‘must buy’ for anyone who wants to try and understand Wagner the man and why and how he came to write such innovative and remarkable music. The actual music is not discussed in detail, this is a book about trying to understand the man himself. I was going to say warts and all, but it should be carbuncles, boils and all. Throughout his life Wagner had erysipelas and other severe skin infections; often worsened when he had catastrophic emotional outbursts which antagonized those about him.Simon Callow tells the story as if he were there in the room talking to you. He has a great gift for telling a yarn and this is a very good yarn. It moves at a fast pace, which makes the book hard to put down. There are no footnotes, but you can see from the bibliography how much Callow has read. It is an extraordinary life, lived at the edge and usually in debt. There is so much to heartily dislike about this opinionated troubled monster who seemed determined to be at odds with all about him. This book helps us to understand how Wagner mainlywith sheer determination and will power and little musical training has left us with such an incredible musical oeuvre. As Callow says he was "restless, unsettling, destructive, sublime and dynamic".

Can't say I've finished this yet, but despite studying Wagner at uni I've learned many things about his personal life that I previously never new. Insightful and easily read book, the only down side is that there's no accompanying musical disk for those who've never heard the music (especially his early stuff like the sonatas and symphonies) to get their teeth into.

Just as I expected

A beautifully written book about a fascinating genius/egomaniac of a man

An excellent read, hard to put it down.