The first study of Pfitzner's output in English, this book sets his music in the context of his cultural opinions, which though conceived as reflections on music, have acquired a more political status to which the history of Pfitzner's times has contributed. Williamson offers a revaluation of his music, partly in order to reveal the innate value of his stage works, chamber music, and songs, and also to illustrate the historical importance of his ideas, which reflect a German conservative tradition which was taken over and nearly destroyed by the Third Reich.