In the light of a recent visit to Tannhäuser at the Royal Opera, alas in the laughably awful current production by Tim Albery, I was prompted to re-read the relevant chapter in Michael Tanner's Wagner [London: Harper Collins, 1996].
And was reminded what an eminently readable guide he is to the psychological and philosophical undercurrents in the operas. A straightforward chronological account it may be, but it is much more than that - Tanner is not afraid to be critical, if he deems it necessary; and he writes beautifully, too.
But maybe all this was only to be expected. After all, he used to teach philosophy at Cambridge. And has written extensively on Nietzsche amongst others.
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