Newbie spellcaster question

Just learned about Dungeon World yesterday, and have been looking over the Beta document. I like much of what I've read so far, but am seeking clarification on one thing.

Spellcasters prepare spells whose total levels equal their own level+1. So, just to be clear, if a 9th Level Wizard selects a 9th Level spell, he/she also may take only one 1st Level spell? Is that the trade-off for not (necessarily) forgetting spells? Or is the intention that a spellcaster can prepare spells multiple times per day? I'm looking at this through an old-school D&D prism, and so I'm trying to wrap my head around what seems at first glance like a wizard with far less firepower than even the Vancian casters of old.

Not a criticism, just trying to get a feel for the material.

Hi Dodoanna! Welcome :)
Nope, you got it right. But you can prepare spells at any time in a quiet, safe place and 'wipe' your mind, preparing a different 'cluster' of spells. I think someone came up with a custom move for their game where you could prepare total spell levels equal to your character level + INT, which kinda paying homage to the source material.

 In the campaign we just wrapped up, we had a level 9 wizard who had plenty of spells in his book, but had quite a bit of angst when he had to choose which spells to memorise. Third level spells are VERY useful :)

He rarely forgot them though, since he had INT +3 and a magic wand that he used Enchanter's Soul on and thus allowed him to ignore one 7-9 cast spells result so long as he bled a HP into its semi-sentient gnarled wyzard-wood form.

thus allowed him to ignore one 7-9 cast spells result so long as he bled a HP into its semi-sentient gnarled wyzard-wood form.

This bit you said is really interesting. What amount of HP bleed?

I've made a similar move option. The short of it is changing Cast a Spell move so that certain wizard's, on a 7-9, will have the option to chose to lose HPs instead of having the option of taking -1 ongoing to cast a spell. I'm thinking something like damage equal to the level of spell cast. Fiction-wise, instead of disturbing the fabric of reality, I'm picturing shooting pain, hacking up blood, arcs of energy burning scars into the wizard's flesh...

The long story is that, in the campaign I've just begun, I want to have different paths of magic. One is golem-style magic: all sygaldry, material components and muscle work. That's how I've framed Grundloch's magic in the Bloodstone Idol adventure. Another way to cast a spell is by focusing magical energy through your soul--the soul acts like a lens. I got this idea from Kevin Crawford's Red Tide setting. Now, humans can channel as much magical energy as they like because they have a disembodied soul. Elves' souls, however, aren't disembodied; their body and soul are one. As such, soul magic wracks their body with pain; the more magical energy, the greater the pain--it's as if there's friction between magic and flesh and the flesh can burn to dust if the elven wizard tries to channel too much magic--usually when casting a high level spell. This is perhaps a disadvantage to playing an elven wizard, but then elves do live indefinitely, if they avoid violent incidents, and can reincarnate indefinitely if they don't. Plus, it makes soul stealing so much more useful. 

Hi Dodoanna! Welcome :)
Nope, you got it right. But you can prepare spells at any time in a quiet, safe place and 'wipe' your mind, preparing a different 'cluster' of spells.

Thanks! I thought that this might be the case, but wanted clarification. My initial reaction to the rules set was "ah, so they're going for that 1E feel," but the idea of being able to prepare spells multiple times a day seemed to run counter to that.
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Third level spells are VERY useful :)

That had occurred to me! It struck me that the 3rd Level spell lists for both the Cleric and Wizard occupied the "sweet spot" in terms of usability.

This bit you said is really interesting. What amount of HP bleed?

Yeah Oli, this was AWESOME. Marc came up with the idea that a gnarled old wand he found in the dragon hoard of Phoenix Mountain was super badarse, and he took the Enchanter move to do just that. He studied that thing and spent time in contemplation in his tower above the Raw Prawn bawdy house, but to no avail on the spout lore roll! He rolled snake eyes and the whole thing snowballed from there.

What do you want it to do? I asked him, and he said he wanted to NOT forget spells. Hmmm. Fine I said, how about it allows you to choose that option on a 7-9 Cast spells but instead of forgetting it costs you something else? Sure, he said. How about some HP? Why would it want HP? I asked, pushing there a little. He 'unearthed' its name: Spite

As the game developed and Spite's history became determined through play, this innocuous wand became an ancient semi-sentient item of power. The last of the witch-elves ancient surging artefacts, raw and ultimately soul-destroying. Tonks later upgraded to Enchanter's Soul and played around with the wand. He wanted to utilise the wand to amplify his Empowered Magic move and allow one of those effects to happen on a 7-9 (with a cost as usual) and one for free on a 10-11 or both with a cost. On a 12+ he could choose both for free.

That's pretty powerful I said, we know that Spite wants to suck your life force out of you to feed its need for suffering yeah?  Hmmm, ok, how about this, when you use the wand to cast spells and thus amplify your Empowered Magic, if you miss, you lose a HP PERMANENTLY and Sprite gets +1 Bond with you? Tonksey grinned with delight. Sure, he said, bring it on.

The Raw Prawn is a disgusting name for anything.  Eww.  I love it.

Ha Ha, yeah. Our first session, where a lot of the setting stuff and tone emerged, was spent camping and we were just a little drunk. Plus my mates had never role played before, so I was saying Yes and.... to everything they suggested. So the game became (as you know from the Dingle Dale APs) very poignantly gonzo. Almost (unintentionally) a homage to Terry Pratchett!

Ha Ha, yeah. Our first session, where a lot of the setting stuff and tone emerged, was spent camping and we were just a little drunk. Plus my mates had never role played before, so I was saying Yes and.... to everything they suggested. So the game became (as you know from the Dingle Dale APs) very poignantly gonzo. Almost (unintentionally) a homage to Terry Pratchett!

"Camping" and "Drunk" = excellent roleplaying.  I remember a really stupid game of "we don't have books or dice" D&D I played at an SCA event once, in ages past, and that shit was the best.