| Contents |
Entries addressed to Cosima, in part first publications -- 'Above the Abyss I Stand': poem -- Ill-feeling on account of Mathilde Maier -- Thoughts on future life and work -- For the birthday of King Ludwig II: poem -- Parzival [Parsifal]: first prose sketch -- Concerning the journey to funeral of Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld -- Ill-feeling concerning Liszt -- Concerning the blood-stained lance in Parzival -- Suffering, loving, dreaming -- Against Ludwig II's plan for a Munich Festival Theatre -- Thoughts on German character -- Fatalistic mood -- Composure following Cosima's return -- Two lines of music -- From Hohenschwangau: two poems -- Search for new Asyl -- 'Roland's death': an allegory -- Annals for the years 1846 to April 1864 -- Annals for the years 1864 to 1867 -- Three sonnets to David Strauss -- Foreword to 'German Art and German Politics' -- Foreword to second edition of 'Opera and Drama' -- Order for complete edition of my writings -- 'Recollections of Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld' -- 'Romeo and Juliet': musical theme -- Thoughts on Buddhism for The Victors -- 'Score of Mastersingers to the king': poem -- Ideas for a Luther drama -- Two who are truly in love have only one religion -- 'Addendum to dedication of Mastersingers': poem -- 'Comedy in 1 Act': sketch -- Three sonnets to Heinrich Laube -- Continuation of annals for year 1868 -- New Year's eve 68-69: music: 'Sleep, baby, sleep' -- 'Siegfried Act III to the king': poem -- 'Rhinegold', lines against Munich performance -- 'To the king (dernier effort!)': poem -- 'Beethoven and the German nation': notes -- For the king's birthday 1870': poem -- Journalism: one's own writings the cause -- 'The Capitulation': sketch for comedy -- Poems to and for the German army, January 1871 -- 'Twilight of the Gods Act III to the king': poem -- 'Epitaph for Karl Tausig': poem -- 'To Georg Herwegh': lines -- Four bars of a musical motive -- 'Collected writings, vol. 9 to the king': poem -- World history a disappointing document of human endeavour -- Thoughts on regeneration of humanity and of culture -- War as negative selection -- Possession is chance, intellectual and moral equality -- Change of property relationships -- Latin poetry, moral attempt at regeneration -- Dilettantism as reaction to science, concerning prayer, God, Jesus -- Property and state theories, recognition of decay -- Distortion of concept of property, circumvention of ten commandments points to their worldliness -- Christ as poetic ideal, male and female in mixing of races -- End of civilization -- Progress by virtue of the poet's mortality -- 'On Male and Female in Culture and Art': essay fragment -- Facsimiles of original manuscript. Richard Wagner / The Brown Book ; First entry: Hochkopf, 10 August 1865 ; Parzival: first prose sketch of poem ; Spring sun / day-night ; Thoughts on Buddhism ; Music: Sleep, baby, sleep. |
| Abstract |
The Brown Book, so-called by Wagner for its calf binding, was a gift from Cosima, and used by him, when apart from her, to record his thoughts and feelings about her, for her later perusal. So, in the early pages, he pours out passionate declarations and reproaches. But after they had taken up residence together at Triebschen, its contents became more general--a prose sketch of Parsifal, many poems, drafts of two comedies, a moving memoir of the tenor Ludwig Schnorr, the first Tristan, whose death was a great blow to Wagner; and much else. At all times, however, his preoccupation is with his own aesthetic, and the book is often fascinatingly revelatory. This is the first complete publication of the original manuscript, and while something over half of it has been previously published, here and there and at different times, these previously published parts are now difficult of access or out of print. Furthermore, the present version contains new revelations, for Eva Wagner, to whom Cosima handed on the book, censored it by sticking together those pages of which she disapproved: revelations of Cosima's jealousy of Mathilde Maier, or Wagner's irritation over Ludwig's plan for a Munich Festival Theatre. All these pages have now been opened up. The book contains many absorbing sidelights--Wagner likening himself to "a tropical plant in a winter garden"; his description of Walchensee; and so on. And though it is largely made up of separate items, the book has its own unity in that Wagner had recourse to it when deeply moved inwardly, when affected by grief, irritation or even anger. Stewart Spencer, reviewing the German edition in the magazine of the Wagner Society, says that the book "must rank second in importance among Wagner's autobiographical writings, after Mein Leben (and for spontaneity of expression and unguarded utterance many will regard it as superior to the latter) ... We may [now] see the extent to which Wagner's life and art had become synonymous." |
