It may seem pointless for such a well known set of volumes but we shall carry a review of it shortly.
Although the publisher states it is available from February 24 Amazon UK state they have copies available now.
For those that have never had a chance to read this work, a very generous sample of volume 2 is included below to give you some flavor of what you might expect.
The Life of Richard Wagner
4 Volume Paperback Set
Part of Cambridge Library Collection - Music
AUTHOR: Ernest Newman
PUBLICATION PLANNED FOR: February 2014
AVAILABILITY: Not yet published - available from February 2014
FORMAT: Multiple copy pack
ISBN: 9781108007733
Table of Contents
Volume I: Foreword
1. Paternity and ancestry
2. Geyer
3. The child
4. The Kreuzschüler
5. The Leipzig student
6. Würzburg
7. The last six months in Leipzig
8. The state of music in Germany
9. The economic and social status of the musician
10. Magdeburg
11. Minna
12. Königsberg and Riga
13. The voyage to London
14. The 'conquest of Paris'
15. The return to Dresden
16. The early years in Dresden
17. The middle years in Dresden
18. Friends and enemies
19. The storm brewing
20. Nearing the end in Dresden
Index
Volume II: Foreword
1. Wagner and politics in 1848
2. The literary works of 1848
3. Leading up to revolution
4. Wagner and the revolution I: the legal case against him
5. Wagner and the revolution II: his share in the revolt
6. Between Zürich and Paris
7. Jessie Laussot
8. Friends and public work in Zürich
9. Liszt, Wagner and 'Lohengrin'
10. Liszt and Weimar
11. The rising tide
12. Uhlig's visit: expansion of the Nibelungen plan
13. Weakening of the link with Weimar
14. Distractions and diet: the 'Cellini' episode
15. The 'hailstorm'
16. Growing estrangement from the world
17. Difficulties in the rounding of the 'Ring'
18. Marking time in Zürich
19. Liszt and Wagner meet again: the 'Ring' music begun
20. Wagner's finances in Zürich
21. The year 1854
22. The London inferno
23. Nearing the end in Zürich
24. Between Zürich and Paris
25. The Asyl catastrophe
26. Calm in Venice
27. From Venice to Lucerne
28. Preparing for the siege of Paris
Appendixes
Index
Volume III: Foreword
1. The second assault on Paris
2. The year 1860
3. En route to 'Tannhäuser'
4. Gathering clouds
5. The storm breaks
6. Between Paris and Vienna
7. The Minna crisis
8. Shipwreck
9. The rescue
10. Wagner and Ludwig
11. At the Villa Pellet
12. Cosima
13. Settling down in Munich
14. Trouble brewing
15. The 'Tristan' production
16. After 'Tristan'
17. Semper and the Festival Theatre
18. 'Vincere scis, Hannibal'
19. '– Victoria uti nescis'
20. Haven in Triebschen
21
The triangle
22. The king and the triangle
Appendixes
Index
Volume IV: Foreword
1. The Malvina Schnorr episode: I
2. The Malvina Schnorr episode: II
3. Moves in Munich
4. Shadows falling
5. Fröbel and the 'Süddeutsche Presse'
6. The shadows deepen
7. The 'Meistersinger' year'
8. The Bülow–Cosima crisis
9. Cosima decides
10. The breach with the king
11. The 'Rhinegold' aftermath
12. Sunshine and cloud in Triebschen
13. The Bayreuth idea
14. Planning Bayreuth
15. Wagner and Nietzsche: I
16. Wagner and Nietzsche: II
17. The foundation-stone
18. Polemics in 1872
19. Difficulties in Bayreuth
20. The king to the rescue
21. Spadework in 1874
22. Bayreuth in 1875
23. Preparing for the festival
24. The festival and after
25. Nietzsche in 1876
26. Elisabeth's false witness
27. The realities of the matter
28. The load of care
29. Bayreuth saved
30. The breach with Nietzsche
31. Work at 'Parsifal'
32. In search of health
33. Trouble with Bülow and others
34. On the way to 'Parsifal'
35. Nearing the goal
36. 'Parsifal'
37. The end in Venice
Appendixes
Index.
