Wagner: A documentary study

First American edition. Preface by Pierre Boulez. Translated by P.R.J. Ford and Mary Whittall. A documentary study published to commemorate the Bayreuth centenary, this sumptuous book truly befits its subject. Contains Wagner's autobiographical sketch, his instructions on the proper staging of his operas, letters he exchanged with friends like Hector Berlioz, Heinrich Heine, and August Renoir, excerpts from Cosima Wagner's diary, etc. The splendid contemporary illustrations enable one to "see" the man and his family and assoicates, the concert halls and costumes of his day, and his homes, including Villa Wahnfried. Some wear to dust jacket at extremities. 256 pages. cloth, dust jacket. 4to..