From what I can see the aforementioned book appears well researched from factual sources: it is not exactly difficult to tarnish to the core the reputation of a woman who was still worshipping and praising Hitler prior to her death in the 1970s nor the selective amnesia of her sons. The whole saga of the internecine feuds between them and their children for control of Bayreuth is worthy of an opera plot in its own right.
Did it change my own views of Wagner's Music? No: someone who wrote some amazing "bleeding chunks" of orchesrtal music but who rather quickly bores me when the singers appear. My views of opera were expressed a long time ago but I agree with your comment quoted by Tagalie on the more recent Wagner discusions that on opera "It's simply a popular form of theatre".
From what I can see the aforementioned book appears well researched from factual sources: it is not exactly difficult to tarnish to the core the reputation of a woman who was still worshipping and praising Hitler prior to her death in the 1970s nor the selective amnesia of her sons. The whole saga of the internecine feuds between them and their children for control of Bayreuth is worthy of an opera plot in its own right.
Did it change my own views of Wagner's Music? No: someone who wrote some amazing "bleeding chunks" of orchesrtal music but who rather quickly bores me when the singers appear. My views of opera were expressed a long time ago but I agree with your comment quoted by Tagalie on the more recent Wagner discusions that on opera "It's simply a popular form of theatre".