Karen Alexander Hoffman

Seasons with the Meistersinger: One Woman's Life with Richard Wagner 1834 - 1849 Karen Alexander Hoffman

Written by a woman from one woman's perspective, Seasons with the Meistersinger is an intimate view of 19th century German composer Richard Wagner, the times in which he lived and the women with whom he shared his life. Unlike most biographies, music criticisms, and psychological studies of Wagner's works, Seasons challenges the widely-held conclusion that his development as an artist was hindered by a simple, slow-minded wife incapable of understanding the art he was attempting to achieve. Through detailed, factually based anecdotes, the reader comes to know his wife Minna Planer, a woman of talent, both beautiful and practical without whom Wagner might never have achieved anything, much less his extraordinary uniting of poetry, music and drama.