Top Ten Episodes of BOOK MUSIK

 

This is our top ten episodes of BOOK MUSIK: www.bookmusik.com

1) "Wagnerism" by Alex Ross

2) "Along Comes the Association" by Russ Giguere & Ashley Wren Collins

3)"A Sound Mind" by Paul Morley

4) "Recombo DNA - The Story of DEVO by Kevin C. Smith

5) "Relax Baby Be Cool: Serge Gainsbourg" by Jeremy Allen

6)"Niche: A Memoir in Pastiche" by Momus

7) "Remain in Love" by Chris Frantz

8) "The Kinks: Songs of the Semi-Detached" by Mark Doyle

9) " "Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom: The Golden Age of Rock" by Nik Cohn

10) "Suicide's Suicide" by Andi Coutler

BOOK MUSIK: "Wagnerism" by Alex Ross

 

Book Musik 030 – Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music by Alex Ross

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music by Alex Ross. A famous quip goes “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.” Whether you find Wagner’s music to be sublime or bombastic, this is an essential read. It is not a biography or an examination of his music but, more interestingly, it’s a very deep dive into the enormous cultural and political influence Richard Wagner has had on his contemporaries and everyone since, from writers to painters, dancers, philosophers, politicians, and filmmakers. The diversity of those who’ve come under the spell of Wagnerism is beyond compare. And this is despite Wagner’s well-known antisemitism and association with Hitler and the Nazi regime. Cancel culture hasn’t quite figured out what to do with Wagner but Ross leaves no stone unturned in this enormous and hugely satisfying read.

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17