PITTSBURGH, Aug. 15, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The gifts of beauty bestowed by history's greatest composers have mesmerized many. But even as their art flourished, their private lives sometimes floundered. In Seasons with the Meistersinger: One Woman's Life with Richard Wagner 1834 through 1849 (now available through AuthorHouse), Karen Alexander Hoffman portrays the dark side of genius from a compelling perspective.
A rare and intimate view from a woman's perspective, Seasons with the Meistersinger chronicles the times in which Wagner lived and challenges the popular belief that his artistic development was hindered by a less intelligent wife who was incapable of understanding his craft. Through factual anecdotes, readers come to know a woman's role in the labyrinth of European politics in the years following Napoleon's war. As Hoffman deftly weaves societal strains with the daily struggles of life with a creative genius, Minna comes to life and can be seen in a new light: a beautiful and practical woman of talent, without whom Wagner might never have achieved such excellence.
Minna Planar was a popular actress when they married, while Wagner was unknown and impoverished. Throughout their marriage, she stuck by him, even when he had to flee town after provincial German town to avoid arrest for his debts. Even after his success and a prestigious lifetime appointment, his debt increased, and Minna's tragic life never improved.
A stunning biographical novel, Seasons with the Meistersinger reveals the quiet strength and beauty of a woman forced to live in the lonely shadows of her prodigal husband.
Hoffman earned a degree in history from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. An award-winning news, features and sports reporter for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Pennsylvania, Hoffman was the first woman to win a Sportswriter of the Year Award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. She served as assistant director of public affairs for the American Council on Education, director of publications for the Mining and Reclamation Council of America, both based in Washington, D.C., and on the senior staff of two U.S. senators. Since her move to Pittsburgh, she has handled editorial consulting assignments, contributed freelance feature stories to such newspapers as the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, won a national poetry contest sponsored by the National League of American Pen Women, lectured on the role of women in the life and art of Wagner, and most recently, was a senior communications representative for a large German company. Seasons with the Meistersinger is her first book.
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