Wagner's "Das Rheingold"

This text traces the compositional genesis of Richard Wagner's "Das Rheingold", the first opera of his operatic tetralogy "Der Ring des Nibelungen". It was a milestone in the composer's output and in the history of music in general. It marked Wagner's return to operatic composition after a hiatus of five years, and signified his definitive break with earlier operatic conventions. It also represents a reconsideration of the whole question of dramatic-musical form and the role of tonality in articulating this form. The book also attempts a comprehensive formal and tonal analysis of the piece. It is based upon Wagner's textual and musical manuscripts with up-to-date techniques. Darcy discusses the formal, harmonic and linear structure of the work. In so doing, he challenges a number of contemporary views about the opera, including those of Curt von Westernhagen and Carl Dahlhaus.