The Composer: Richard Wagner
The Composer: Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was born on May 22, 1813 in Leipzig. Richard Wagner was so influential that his writings on drama had a huge impact on people throughout the second half of the nineteenth century. Richard Wagner’s father passed away when he was only six months old, with typhus. His mother remarried, who was a writer and an artist. Richard’s stepfather educated him. Richard attended Leipzig University to study music, but he dropped out of college to take a job in a small opera house. Wagner fell in love with a lady that also worked at the opera, Minna Planer, and shortly after that the two of them got married. Richard began to compose his own operas. He wrote tons of operas such as “Rienzi,” “The Flying Dutchman,” “Tannhauser,” Lohengrin,” and “Der fliegende Holländer.” Wagner decided to call for a renewal of Greek antiquity, in which that he created an work of art called, “The Complete Artwork.” For the next several decades, Wagner spent his time trying to make his dream happen. During this time, Wagner’s composed poetry and music for one of the largest musical projects of the Romantic Period: The Ring Cycle. In his first announcement that was made public, he said as I quote: “I shall never write an Opera more. As I have no wish to invent an arbitrary title for my works, I will call them Dramas ... I propose to produce my myth in three complete dramas, preceded by a lengthy Prelude (Vorspiel). ... At a specially-appointed Festival, I propose, some future time, to produce those three Dramas with their Prelude, in the course of three days and a fore-evening [emphasis in original].” Not too long after he started doing all that artwork, he began to have an affair with other ladies, with one of them being the new wife of a good friend, Cosima Von Bulow, the daughter of Franz Liszt. The affair got more personal, and it got to the point that Richard and Minna separated.
Eight years later, Richard and Cosima got married and had
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was born on May 22, 1813 in Leipzig. Richard Wagner was so influential that his writings on drama had a huge impact on people throughout the second half of the nineteenth century. Richard Wagner’s father passed away when he was only six months old, with typhus. His mother remarried, who was a writer and an artist. Richard’s stepfather educated him. Richard attended Leipzig University to study music, but he dropped out of college to take a job in a small opera house. Wagner fell in love with a lady that also worked at the opera, Minna Planer, and shortly after that the two of them got married. Richard began to compose his own operas. He wrote tons of operas such as “Rienzi,” “The Flying Dutchman,” “Tannhauser,” Lohengrin,” and “Der fliegende Holländer.” Wagner decided to call for a renewal of Greek antiquity, in which that he created an work of art called, “The Complete Artwork.” For the next several decades, Wagner spent his time trying to make his dream happen. During this time, Wagner’s composed poetry and music for one of the largest musical projects of the Romantic Period: The Ring Cycle. In his first announcement that was made public, he said as I quote: “I shall never write an Opera more. As I have no wish to invent an arbitrary title for my works, I will call them Dramas ... I propose to produce my myth in three complete dramas, preceded by a lengthy Prelude (Vorspiel). ... At a specially-appointed Festival, I propose, some future time, to produce those three Dramas with their Prelude, in the course of three days and a fore-evening [emphasis in original].” Not too long after he started doing all that artwork, he began to have an affair with other ladies, with one of them being the new wife of a good friend, Cosima Von Bulow, the daughter of Franz Liszt. The affair got more personal, and it got to the point that Richard and Minna separated.
Eight years later, Richard and Cosima got married and had