In 1847 Wagner read the Oresteian trilogy, the finest surviving
work by Aeschylus. The impact on him of Aeschylus' work, at this
crucial time in his development, changed Wagner's entire vision of
his own role as an artist. As he wrote in his autobiography: 'I
could actually see the Oresteia with my mind's eye, as though it
were actually being performed and its effect on me was
indescribable. ... My ideas about the significance of drama and of
the theatre were, without a doubt, moulded by these impressions
...' Wagner and Aeschylus examines the role that the Oresteia
played in the shaping of the Ring, showing how Aeschylus'
masterpiece influenced Wagner's at many levels, from the basic idea
of using mythical material for a cycle of 'stage festival dramas'
right through to profound aspects of subject matter and form and
Wagner's conception of the role of music in opera. Two introductory
chapters look at the overall relationship between Wagner and
Aeschylus; there follows an analysis of the four dramas of the
Ring: the points of affinity and the differences, between Wagner's
cycle and Aeschylus' are discussed in detail, an approach which
throws fresh light on the form and meaning of the Ring.
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