The
Wagner Industry and the "Audience of the Future":
Another
Look at "Die Meistersinger"
THE PROGRAM. Nicholas
Vazsonyi believes that Richard Wagner devoted more than forty years to the
creation of a market for his unique musical works. The lecture, which will be illustrated with musical examples,
will include a discussion of Wagner's unprecedented public relations campaign
to promote what he himself referred to as his "enterprise." It will conclude by showing how Die
Meistersinger created the ideal audience for what Wagner called "the
artwork of the future."
THE SPEAKER. Nicholas Vazsonyi
is an Associate Professor of German at the University of South Carolina. He has published books and articles on a
wide range of artists and issues, from Goethe to Barṭk, and from Marxist
aesthetics to German national identity.
His most recent publication is a volume titled Wagner's
Meistersinger: Performance, History,
Representation (University of
Rochester Press, 2003). His current writing
project is a book on what he calls "the Wagner industry."
The Wagner Society of Washington, D.C. is a private,
non-profit organization established to promote the study and enjoyment of
Wagner's art. It sponsors a series of
monthly lectures, the Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Program
to support professional singers who wish to establish careers singing in
Wagner's works, and social events. Many
programs are free to the public.
For more information call:
Tom Arthur, 202.944.3686 (press)
Aurelius Fernandez, 301.907.2600 (other)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The
Wagner Society of Washington, D.C.
Telephone
301.907.2600
Facsimile
301.907.8671
www.wagner-dc.org