{"product_id":"deathdevoted-heart-sex-and-sacred-in-wagners-tristan-and-isolde-9780195166910","title":"Death-Devoted Heart: Sex and Sacred in Wagner's Tristan and Isolde","description":"\u003cp\u003eA tale of forbidden love and inevitable death  the medieval legend of Tristan and Isolde recounts the story of two lovers unknowingly drinking a magic potion and ultimately dying in one anothers arms. While critics have lauded Wagners Tristan and Isolde for the originality and subtlety of the music  they have denounced the drama as a \"mere trifle\"--a rendering of Wagners forbidden love for Matilde Wesendonck  the wife of a banker who supported him during his exile in Switzerland.  Death-Devoted Heart explodes this established interpretation  proving the drama to be more than just a sublimation of the composers love for Wesendonck or a wistful romantic dream. Scruton boldly attests that Tristan and Isolde has profound religious meaning and remains as relevant today as it was to Wagners contemporaries. He also offers keen insight into the nature of erotic love  the sacred qualities of human passion  and the peculiar place of the erotic in our culture. His argument touches on the nature of tragedy  the significance of ritual sacrifice  and the meaning of redemption  providing a fresh interpretation of Wagners masterpiece. Roger Scruton has written an original and provocative account of Wagners music drama  which blends philosophy  criticism  and musicology in order to show the works importance in the twenty-first century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45651951845429,"sku":"ByrdShop_0195166914","price":49.03,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780195166910.jpg?v=1781847172","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/deathdevoted-heart-sex-and-sacred-in-wagners-tristan-and-isolde-9780195166910","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}