Deeds of Music Made (In)visible: Richard Moukarzel considers an account of the genesis of ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’

New books are becoming unjustifiable in the context of an already saturated Wagner literature – or so the alte Weise goes. But never mind this familiar jeremiad: the release of a new volume on the Ring aimed at a general readership could hardly seem timelier, given the present context of Wagner performance in the UK. With Barrie Kosky’s production currently running at the Royal Opera House, the controversy surrounding English National Opera’s Rheingold and Walküre in the past couple of years, as well as two performances of the full cycle by the Regents Opera planned for this winter, the broader public’s interest can be expected to reach unprecedented heights.