A pagan spoiled : sex and character in Wagner's Parsifal / Anthony Winterbourne.

Author/creator Winterbourne, Anthony, 1946-
Format Book
Publication InfoMadison : Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, ©2003.
Description142 pages ; 25 cm
Subjects

Contents Appropriating Parsifal -- Objects of desire -- Kundry, and what else? -- Descent into hell -- The contours of redemption.
Abstract This is a philosophical reading of Wagner's last music-drama. The book argues that the dramatic focus is the character of Kundry, rather than Parsifal himself. This interpretation is defended through an analysis of the sexual dynamics underpinning the action, and through an examination of the religious and psychological symbolism of both the Holy Grail and the lance often associated with the Crucifixion. By giving due weight to these themes in particular, the complexity of Wagner's final work is seen to resolve into a feminization of the nature of religious redemption.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 131-136) and index.
LCCN 2002152456
ISBN083863978X

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML410.W17 W72 2003 ✔ Available Place Hold