Modern Musical Drift by W. J. Henderson

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Author Henderson, W. J. (William James), 1855-1937
LoC No. 04028495
Title Modern Musical Drift
Note Reading ease score: 59.8 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
Contents Parsifalia: A pure fool in the New World. Ethics and æsthetics. The national religious drama -- Der Ring des Nibelungen: A futile god and a potent devil. The woman and the serpent. Back-world's gods and over-woman -- Isolde's serving-woman -- Richard Strauss: The historical survey. The æsthetic view. What does it all mean? Strauss and the song writers -- Aux Italiens: Italian opera of to-day. The classic of the unprogressive -- The oratorio of to-day.
Credits Produced by Andrés V. Galia, Book digitized by Google and
the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Summary "Modern Musical Drift" by W. J. Henderson is a critical examination of contemporary music, particularly focusing on operas, written in the early 20th century. The book delves into the works of notable composers, especially Richard Wagner, while discussing the evolution of musical practices and philosophies in the modern era. Henderson critiques the artistic integrity and depth of these musical compositions and how they reflect on society's relationship with art. The opening of the work sets the stage for a discussion on the eagerly awaited American debut of Wagner's opera "Parsifal" at the Metropolitan Opera House during Christmas time. The author paints a vivid picture of the fanfare surrounding the event, highlighting the extravagant spending and societal expectations associated with it. As the performances commence, Henderson offers his critical perspective, suggesting that "Parsifal" reflects a decline in Wagner's artistic prowess compared to his earlier masterpieces. He critiques the characters and themes presented in the opera, associating them with a lack of human drama and emotional resonance while juxtaposing them with the more engaging sentiments found in Wagner's prior works. The analysis raises questions about the relevance of such modern expressions of music in the light of genuine human experiences. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class ML: Music: Literature of music
Subject Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883
Subject Music -- History and criticism
Subject Strauss, Richard, 1864-1949
Category Text
EBook-No. 54426
Release Date
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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