This study reconstructs the composer from his letters, autobiography, reminiscences, prose works, and musical scores, and presents a chronological digest of his life. It examines personal temperament, relationships, public controversies, and the reliability of existing editions of his correspondence. It surveys his aesthetic essays and theoretical statements, tracing how ideas about music, drama, and the art-work of the future evolved and sometimes conflicted with compositional practice. The critical study of the operas covers early pieces to mature masterpieces, discussing leitmotif technique, orchestration, voice–orchestra balance, dramatic characterisation, and Parsifal. Appendices and a synthetic table of life, works, and events complete the volume.