Jaipur Literature Festival 2021: Alex Ross on his new book, and the chequered life and legacy of Richard Wagner

You would be excused if the prospect of yet another bit of writing on Richard Wagner doesn’t induce exhilaration and sleepless nights. And in a session alongside music historian Katherine Butler Schofield at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2021, Ross was there to unpack it all. Following one of the longest introductions in yours truly’s recent memory, the author read a passage from the beginning of his book, which interestingly details the last moments of Wagner’s life. The author discussed the renewed interest in Wagner following his death in 1883 at Ca’ Vendramin Calergi, Venice; and not just in the field of music. Ross points out how Wagner’s avant-garde movement alongside his conservative views always presented a contradiction, cutting a figure of a “sacred monster”.