The Wagner Society of Washington, D.C.  announces a free event to begin
the new year, a presentation by a returning lecturer, the classical
scholar, author and educator

Jeffrey L. Buller, Dean of Mary Baldwin College

Siegfried: The Wurm Turns

The lecture will be on Thursday, January 22, 2004 at 7:30 P.M.  at the
George Washington University, Funger Hall, 2201 G Street, N.W.

The Topic.  Jeffrey Buller believes that Siegfried, the third opera of
Richard Wagner's great tetralogy, The Ring of the Nibelung, may be viewed
in many different ways -- as a "mirror image" of Die Walkure, the second
opera of the tetralogy; musically, as a "minuet-and-trio" or as the third
movement "scherzo" of a four-movement symphony; as a coming-of-age novel
about the boy-hero of The Ring and in other ways.  In this lecture,
Jeffrey Buller will explore how all of these perspectives end up fitting
together and why the dragon Fafner tells Siegfried "you don't know who
you are" (unkund deiner selbst).  The unique lecture will be illustrated
with musical and visual examples.

The Speaker.  Jeffrey L.  Buller is a nationally recognized authority
on classical literature and its influence on modern opera.  He has
published extensively on these and related topics.  An administrator as
well as a scholar, Buller chaired the Department of Classical Studies
at Loras College in Iowa and served as Dean of the College of Liberal
Arts and Social Sciences at Georgia Southern University.  He is now Dean
of Mary Baldwin College in Virginia.

Dean Buller is the author of "Classically Romantic," in which he explores
how Richard Wagner's ideas about the past were shaped, not by the classical
world itself, but by the Romantic Age's select view of antiquity.  Last
spring, he lectured for the Wagner Society of Washington, D.  C.  on the
subject of "Sleep in the Ring." Last summer, he provided the English
language pre-performance lectures at the Richard Wagner Festival at
Bayreuth, Germany.

The Wagner Society of Washington, D.C.  is a private non-profit organization
devoted to the study and enjoyment of Richard Wagner's art.  Most events
are free to members and the public.  The Wagner Society welcomes new
members and contributions at any time.  Membership forms and other
information are available at the Society's Website or by calling the
Society.

The Wagner Society of Washington, D.C.
P.O. Box 33051
Washington, D.C. 20033

Telephone (301) 907-2600
Facsimile (301) 907-8671

http://www.wagner-dc.org

Posted by
Janice Rosen, Founder