Modern Musical Drift

"Modern Musical Drift" by W. J. Henderson, is a critical look at early 20th-century music, especially operas. The book focuses on composers like Richard Wagner and how musical ideas were changing. Henderson shares his opinions on the art and meaning of these musical pieces, and how they connect to society's view of art. Initially, the book describes the excitement around the American premiere of Wagner's opera "Parsifal" at the Metropolitan Opera House during Christmas. Henderson then shares his critiques arguing that "Parsifal" isn't as good as Wagner's older works. He questions the characters and ideas in the opera, suggesting they lack real emotion compared to Wagner's previous operas, which leads to questions about the importance of modern music in understanding real-life experiences.