Wagner's Ring

This seminar will pursue a rigorous musical, textual, historical, and political analysis of Wagner's tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung. It will include an analysis of production styles, with specific attention to the production currently in joint development at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, and the Berlin State Opera, to be directed by Guy Cassiers. We will address themes such as globalization and its discontents, the interplay of music drama and visual technologies, and the contextual importance of serial novels such as those of Marcel Proust, Robert Musil, and Hermann Broch. Enrollment limited to 20 students. Instructor override required.