Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner was a German composer, theatre director, and conductor who is known for his operas and for his theories of the music drama. He is one of the most influential and the most controversial figures in the history of the Western music.
Early Life and Education
Wagner was born in Leipzig in 1813. His father died shortly after his birth and his mother married the actor and painter Ludwig Geyer.
He was drawn to the theatre and the music from an early age. He studied the music in Leipzig and was influenced by the works of Beethoven and Weber.
He worked as a conductor in the provincial opera houses and composed his first operas. He married the actress Minna Planer in 1836.
The Operas and the Music Dramas
Wagner composed the operas Rienzi, The Flying Dutchman, Tannhäuser, and Lohengrin in the early period. The works established his reputation.
He developed the concept of the music drama, in which the music, the text, and the staging are unified in a single work. He wrote his own librettos and controlled the production.
He used the technique of the leitmotif, a musical phrase associated with a character, an object, or an idea. The technique gives the music a continuous development.
He composed the four operas of the Ring cycle: The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, and The Twilight of the Gods. The cycle is based on the Norse and the German legends.
The Bayreuth Festival
Wagner conceived of a theatre designed for the performance of his works. The Bayreuth Festspielhaus was built to his specifications and opened in 1876.
The theatre has a covered orchestra pit that hides the musicians from the audience. The seating is arranged in a fan shape without the side boxes.
The first festival presented the complete Ring cycle. The festival has been held almost every year since and is devoted to the works of Wagner.
He composed the last opera, Parsifal, for the festival. The work was first performed in 1882 and is a sacred festival drama.
The Later Years and the Legacy
Wagner was a controversial figure because of his anti-Semitic writings and his political views. His ideas were later adopted by the Nazi regime.
He was supported by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who paid his debts and funded the festival. He married Cosima Liszt after the death of his first wife.
He died in 1883 in Venice. His body was returned to Bayreuth and buried in the garden of the villa Wahnfried.
He is regarded as one of the greatest composers of the opera. His works influenced the development of the music and the theatre of the twentieth century.
The Music Dramas
Wagner developed the concept of the music drama. The music, the text, and the staging are unified in a single work.
He wrote his own librettos and controlled the production. He used the leitmotif to give the music a continuous development.
He composed the four operas of the Ring cycle. The cycle is based on the Norse and the German legends.
The Theatre and the Festival
Wagner conceived of a theatre designed for the performance of his works. The Bayreuth Festspielhaus opened in 1876.
The theatre has a covered orchestra pit and the fan-shaped seating. The design gives the audience an unobstructed view of the stage.
He composed Parsifal for the festival. The work was first performed in 1882 and is a sacred festival drama.
The Honours and the Memory
Wagner was buried in the garden of the villa Wahnfried in Bayreuth. The villa is now a museum devoted to his life and work.
The Bayreuth Festival continues to present his works. The festival is held almost every year and attracts the visitors from throughout the world.
He is regarded as one of the greatest composers of the opera. His works influenced the development of the music and the theatre of the twentieth century.
The Writings and the Ideas
Wagner wrote a large number of the essays and the books on the music and the politics. The works include Art and Revolution and Opera and Drama.
He set out his ideas on the music drama and on the role of the theatre. The writings influenced the composers and the critics of the period.
He was a controversial figure because of his anti-Semitic writings. His ideas were later adopted by the Nazi regime.
The Patronage and the Festival
Wagner was supported by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The king paid his debts and funded the Bayreuth Festival.
The Bayreuth Festspielhaus opened in 1876 with the performance of the Ring cycle. The festival has been held almost every year since.
He married Cosima Liszt after the death of his first wife. She continued the festival after his death and supervised the productions.
See also
- Music drama
- Leitmotif
- Bayreuth Festival
- Romantic music
References
- ↑ Millington, Barry. Wagner. London: Dent, 1984.
- ↑ Newman, Ernest. The Life of Richard Wagner. London: Cassell, 1933.
- ↑ Magee, Bryan. The Tristan Chord: Wagner and Philosophy. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2000.
- ↑ Deathridge, John. Wagner Beyond Good and Evil. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008.