Author: Derek Blyth

Derek studied music at the Universities of Aberdeen and Durham. He saw his first Ring Cycle in the early 1970s and has been passionate about Wagner ever since. Having given many talks to and led many study days for the Manchester Wagner Society, they invited him to be Vice-President in 2014 and then to be President in 2018. He has always aimed to be and active office bearer, not just a figurehead.
Meetings

Debussy and Wagner

Derek Blyth

Debussy and Wagner -Dr. David Code Monday 14th October at 18.30   Like many leading cultural figures of his generation, the French composer Claude Debussy (1862-1918) went through a phase of passionate wagnérisme, during which he undertook the so-called ‘pilgrimage’ to Bayreuth. His struggle to ‘work through’ this towering musical influence left clear traces in… Continue reading Debussy and Wagner

Meetings

Alberich: Antagonist or Protagonist?

Derek Blyth

Alberich: Antagonist or Protagonist? 9th September at 6.30p.m. It is easy to see Alberich as the villain of the Ring. Wotan certainly sees him this way and so do many directors. He is often used as an example of Wagner's anti-semitism and, while the great Brünnhildes, Wotans, Siegfrieds et al are endlessly poured over and… Continue reading Alberich: Antagonist or Protagonist?