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

Grigory Grigor'evich Chernetsov (1802 - 1865)
Grigory Grigor'evich Chernetsov
1802 - 1865
David Roberts (1796 - 1864)
David Roberts
1796 - 1864
Bram Stoker (1847 - 1912)
Bram Stoker
1847 - 1912
Constant-Joseph Brochart (1816 - 1889)
Constant-Joseph Brochart
1816 - 1889
Francois-Edouard Zier (1856 - 1924)
Francois-Edouard Zier
1856 - 1924
Joseph Carl Cogels (1785 - 1831)
Joseph Carl Cogels
1785 - 1831
Jean-Victor Adam (1801 - 1867)
Jean-Victor Adam
1801 - 1867
Lars Hertervig (1830 - 1902)
Lars Hertervig
1830 - 1902
Balthasar Wiegand (1770 - 1846)
Balthasar Wiegand
1770 - 1846
Julius Noerr (1827 - 1897)
Julius Noerr
1827 - 1897
Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824 - 1904)
Jean-Léon Gérôme
1824 - 1904
Thomas Seddon (1828 - 1856)
Thomas Seddon
1828 - 1856
Johann Christoph Nabholz (1752 - 1797)
Johann Christoph Nabholz
1752 - 1797
Francis Sartorius I (1734 - 1804)
Francis Sartorius I
1734 - 1804
Heinrich Georg Brandes (1803 - 1868)
Heinrich Georg Brandes
1803 - 1868
Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (1814 - 1841)
Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov
1814 - 1841
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