I don't think you understand Wagner, or opera, at all. As Judy has pointed out to you, Wagner's librettos are not intended to stand on their own. That's the whole point of the Gesamtkunstwerk. In fact, it would be hard to think of any opera libretto that "stands on its own." That's not what opera is all about. Wagner's librettos do the job he intended them to do very well indeed, and they can't be separated from the music that brings them to life.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela Mailander <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > For me, the music does not improve the librettos. I said, "Each must stand on its own. Wagner's librettos don't. This is personal preference, not ignorance. End of story. > > authfriend <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Angela Mailander > <mailander111@> wrote: > > > > My profession has been literary criticism. It is ignorant, for > example, to separate Blake's art from his poetry, but it is not > profoundly ignorant. Each must be able to stand on its own---and it > does. It is better if you see it as a unified whole, and, I'm sure > that's true of Wagner. However, in my opinion, Wagner's librettos > don't stand on their own. I am not alone in that opinion, and, > moreover, I see no reason to continue to argue about it. I have no > wish to convince you of this. > > Angela. I've said in two posts now, including the > post you're responding to, that Wagner's librettos > don't stand on their own (in the other post I used > those *precise words*--and I know you read that post > too, because you responded to it). > > In the post you're responding to now, I said: > > "Nobody 'likes Wagner's librettos.' To single them > out for critical evaluation in isolation from > the music is itself a sign of profound ignorance." > > Now you're saying that's what *you* think, but you > see no reason to argue with me about it and have no > desire to convince me of it, when *I said it before > you did*, TWICE?? > > > I also don't care whether you ever see any similarities between > German fascism and the TMO. > > And on this point, I said: > > "What seems difficult for you to see is that the > similarities, such as they may be, are *irrelevant*." > > The similarities aren't hard to see. It's their > relevance that's at issue. > > > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com >
