The Ring of Truth: The Wisdom of Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung

. Andrews and who has written widely on art, architecture, music, and aesthetics. His books include his now classic Short History of Modern Philosophy (1981), The Aesthetics of Music (1997), Death-Devoted Heart: Sex and the Sacred in Wagner's Tristan and Isolde (2004), and Fools, Frauds and Firebrands (1985, republished 2015). He is a fellow of the British Academy and the Royal

Even if we live in a world from which gods and heroes have disappeared we can, by imagining them, dramatize the deep truths of our condition and renew our faith in what we are.”Love, death, sacrifice and the liberation that we win through sacrificethese are the great themes of the Ring, as they are of this book. Scruton shows how, through musical connections and brilliant dramatic strokes, Wagner is able to express truths about the human condition which few other creative artists have been able to convey so convincingly. No recent study has examined the meaning of Wagner's masterpiece with the attention to detail and intellectual power that Roger Scruton brings to it in this inspiring account.The Ring of Truth is an exploration of the drama, music, symbolism and philosophy of the Ring from a writer whose knowledge and und

A welcome addition to the canon of Wagner commentary Books n' music fan Roger Scruton has long been known as the philosopher who focused his penetrating and immediately accessible insights on all manner of the arts. While Wagner's Ring Cycle is widely reputed as "difficult" and murky, Scruton reveals it in such a way, act by act, to make it seem entirely understandable and I must say, far more appealing to me. So far, I have found the Ring a hard work to enjoy thoroughly as I do Parsifal or Tristan.There is also much to offer here for well-seasoned Wagnerites who. Well written and insightful. jennifer stone Insightful, clear. Slightly gushing, but you'd probably only be reading it if you were also a fan. Contains thought provoking analyses of leitmotifs which inspire further listening (as though you need another reason!). Walter Blocher said There is a great deal I missed because my musical knowledge is far. There is a great deal I missed because my musical knowledge is far below the author's. However he did make work a bit to increase that knowledge. I do enjoy the author.

His book is a deeply felt rallying call for the view of humanity and its place in the cosmos that Scruton sees as embodied in the Ring.” - Adam Lively, The Sunday Times. “Scruton lays out his argument in a clear, coherent, and readable manner. An admirable, welcome effort to illuminate one of the most significant artistic achievements of the modern age.” - Kirkus Reviews“After reading this book, only the most unadventurous reader would turn down the chance to see Wagner's masterpiece.” - Economist“Roger Scruton is in many ways the ideal interpreter of the Ring