Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) - photo 1

Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German pioneering composer, conductor and opera reformer.

His first proper Symphony in C major was performed at the Leipzig Gewandhaus concerts in 1833. Wagner lived in a colony of poor German artists and made his living in music journalism. Nevertheless, in 1841 he wrote his first representative opera, The Flying Dutchman, based on the legend of a ship captain doomed to sail forever. In 1842 his Rienzi was triumphantly performed in Dresden, after which Wagner was appointed conductor of the court opera and held this position until 1849.

In 1848-49 Wagner became involved in the German Revolution, wrote a number of articles in support of it, and took an active part in the Dresden Uprising of 1849. When the uprising failed, he was forced to flee Germany. His subsequent years were occupied mainly with writing theoretical treatises on philosophy and music. Wagner held anti-Semitic and Nazi views. And reflecting on the future of music, he predicted the disappearance of opera as an artificial entertainment for the elite and the emergence of a new kind of musical stage work for the people, expressing the self-realization of free humanity. This new work was later called "musical drama."

By 1857 his style had been enriched with new interpretations, and Wagner had composed "Rheingold," "Die Walküre," and two acts of "Siegfried." By 1864, however, unwise financial habits had driven him into debt and ruin, and he was forced to flee from prison to Stuttgart. He was rescued by King Louis II, an ardent admirer of Wagner's work. Under his patronage for six years in Munich, the composer's operas were successfully staged. The King also practically ensured him a trouble-free life, thanks to his support Wagner built his own opera house (Bayreuther Festspielhaus), in which many new constructive ideas were realized. The premiere of "The Ring" and "Parsifal" took place here.

As a result of all Wagner's creative innovations and methods, a new kind of art emerged, the distinctive feature of which was a deep and complex symbolism, operating in three inseparable planes - dramatic, verbal and musical. He had a significant influence on European musical culture, especially on the development of opera and symphonic genres.

Richard Wagner's major works include The Flying Dutchman (1843), Tannhäuser (1845), Lohengrin (1850), Tristan und Isolde (1865), Parsifal (1882), and his great tetralogy, The Ring of the Nibelung (1869-76).

Date and place of birt:22 may 1813, Leipzig, Germany
Date and place of death:13 february 1883, Venice, Italy
Period of activity: XIX century
Specialization:Composer, Writer
Art style:Romanticism

Creators Romanticism

Édouard Bertin (1797 - 1871)
Édouard Bertin
1797 - 1871
José Rodrigues (1828 - 1887)
José Rodrigues
1828 - 1887
Grigoriy Vasilyevich Soroka (1823 - 1864)
Grigoriy Vasilyevich Soroka
1823 - 1864
John Varley (1778 - 1842)
John Varley
1778 - 1842
Imogen Cunningham (1883 - 1976)
Imogen Cunningham
1883 - 1976
Alexey Alexandrovich Vasilyev (1811 - 1879)
Alexey Alexandrovich Vasilyev
1811 - 1879
William Stanley Haseltine (1835 - 1900)
William Stanley Haseltine
1835 - 1900
David Edward Cronin (1839 - 1925)
David Edward Cronin
1839 - 1925
Eugène Petit (1839 - 1886)
Eugène Petit
1839 - 1886
Peter Markoe (1752 - 1792)
Peter Markoe
1752 - 1792
Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872)
Théophile Gautier
1811 - 1872
Adolph Tidemand (1814 - 1876)
Adolph Tidemand
1814 - 1876
Joseph Wright (1734 - 1797)
Joseph Wright
1734 - 1797
Clarkson Frederick Stanfield (1793 - 1867)
Clarkson Frederick Stanfield
1793 - 1867
Alexandre Jean-Baptiste Hesse (1806 - 1879)
Alexandre Jean-Baptiste Hesse
1806 - 1879
Benoît-Charles Mitoire (1782 - 1832)
Benoît-Charles Mitoire
1782 - 1832