Verdi and/or Wagner: Two Men, Two Worlds, Two Centuries by Peter Conrad

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"...Wagner sought to use the myths of the ancient Germanic tribes and of the Middle Ages to create a new religious experience for the civilization of the West. The faith that the French Revolution and Darwinian evolution had undermined, Wagner devoted himself to replace with a new creed. His temple to music at Bayreuth in Bavaria was built to become the new Delphi, with himself as the prophet and oracle of the modern world." Read the full review by Ed Voves of this comparison of Wagner with Verdi at the California Literary Review.