That Wagner conceived of himself creatively as both man and woman is central to an understanding of his life and art. So argues Jean-Jacques Nattiez in this richly insightful work, where he draws from semiology, music criticism, and psychoanalysis to explore such topics as Wagner's theories of music drama, his anti-Semitism, and his psyche. Wagner "The book provides an analysis of Wagner that is both detailed and erudite. Nattiez is especially successful in describing the intellectual world in which Wagner worked. . . . Wagnerians and scholars of contemporary hermeneutics will find much to enjoy here."---Peter J. Rabinowitz, Opera Quarterly