Richard Wagner: A Biography

I found this book an excellent introduction to Wagner's life and works. It presents the Jekyll / Hyde personality of the composer while emphasizing his genius and his inability to accept mediocre performances of his, or anyone else's works. I found this book very readable and interesting throughout.

I've read a lot of books on Richard Wagner, and this is the one I'd recommend as the single best book. Why? Because, hard as it is to be fair in the treatment of a controversial figure like Wagner, Derek Watson succeeds. He doesn't gloss over Wagner's bad habits, chief of which are his abuse of friends and supporters, his virulent anti-Semitism, his self-indulgence, and his continuing problems regarding his own money and the money of others. Yet Watson also balances these vices with a bigger picture of the man's incredible creative abilities. He knew he was a genius, and others saw this too--to the extent that they willingly allowed themselves to be taken advantage of. In addition to a fair and balanced summary of Wagner's life, there is a glossary of major figures in Wagner's life, and dozens of photographs of Wagner and his contemporaries. If I could have only a single book on Wagner, this would be my choice!