University of Birmingham · United Kingdom
Regeneration and re-enchantment: British music and Wagnerism, 1880–1920
This PhD thesis explores the significant and varied impact of Richard Wagner's music, ideas, and politics on British composers between 1880 and 1920. It examines how British composers engaged with Wagnerian concepts and techniques, applying them to themes such as Celticism, Pre-Raphaelitism, Arthurian legends, nationalism, mysticism, pantheism, and the integration of different art forms.
The study argues that despite diverse artistic, political, and social motivations, these composers utilized Wagnerian influences to address a perceived crisis or decline in their world, aiming to 'regenerate' or 're-enchant' it. By analyzing these works through the lens of British Wagnerism, the research enhances our understanding of British music during this era and its connection to broader European cultural movements.
