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Why Music Guides?

Wagner's operatic works hold many musical secrets. How can the musically interested amateur explore these secrets? A musical score alone is too abstract, and audio examples from a CD can hardly be grasped without visual support. But what is seen and heard is quickly understood and easily remembered. This audiovisual approach is the core concept behind the music guides and the Sounding Libretti by MusiCosa Publishing.

The music guides provide a brief synopsis of the acts in Wagner's works, explaining the leitmotifs and their musical-psychological contexts. Using the enclosed audio CD or the web app, the musical examples can be played back, making the explanations easy to follow.

Published in this series so far:

1

Music Guide – Rheingold

Wagner's operatic works hold many musical secrets, including Das Rheingold:

  • Why are the tarnhelm and Loge motifs related?
  • Why do so many motifs derive from the Rhine gold motif?
  • What is Wotan secretly planning?

Scope and Contents

  • 52 pages
  • 39 musical and audio examples, playable in the browser on smartphone or PC

The music guide provides answers to numerous questions. Find out more...

2

Music Guide – Die Walküre

Wagner's operatic works hold many musical secrets, including Die Walküre:

  • How is the struggle against Wotan's regime reflected in the music?
  • Is Wotan in love with his own daughter?
  • What message does the redemption motif hold?

Scope and Contents

  • 56 pages
  • 36 musical and audio examples, playable in the browser on smartphone or PC

The music guide provides answers to numerous questions. Find out more...

3

Music Guide – Siegfried

Wagner's operatic works hold many musical secrets, including Siegfried:

  • How is Siegfried's maturation into manhood reflected in his motifs?
  • Why are the forest bird and the Rhinemaidens musically related?
  • What message lies within the world inheritance motif?

Scope and Contents

  • 56 pages
  • 42 musical and audio examples, playable in the browser on smartphone or PC

The music guide provides answers to numerous questions. Find out more...
Scope and Contents

4

Music Guide – Götterdämmerung

Wagner's operatic works hold many musical secrets, including Götterdämmerung:

  • What question is woven into the fate weaving motif?
  • In what way does Brünnhilde love differently than Siegfried?
  • What is Hagen suffering from?

Scope and Contents

  • 60 pages
  • 39 musical and audio examples, playable in the browser on smartphone or PC

The music guide provides answers to numerous questions. Find out more...
Scope and Contents

5

Music Guide – Meistersinger

Wagner's operatic works hold many musical secrets, including Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg:

  • How are the ideals of the Mastersingers' guild reflected in the music?
  • What is the meaning of the dotted rhythm in many motifs?
  • What secret lies within the evolution of Walther's music?

Scope and Contents

  • 64 pages
  • 47 musical and audio examples, playable in the browser on smartphone or PC
  • Includes audio CD with all audio examples

The music guide provides answers to numerous questions. Find out more...