Mythische Sinnlichkeit

Taking a literary approach, the study examines Wagner’s dramas and demonstrates that the motif of sensory perception plays a pivotal role in both the aesthetic and ideological aspects of his work. Drawing on Wagner’s theories of myth and drama, it illustrates how this principle is realised in “Der Ring des Nibelungen” and the ‘romantic’ operas. In doing so, it highlights the close link between poetic composition and political statement in the texts. By analysing the libretti as independent dramatic texts, the book provides well-founded points of reference for musicological and practical directing questions.