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People In Music History
Wagner, [Wilhelm] Richard (1813-1883) German composer, also writer (of his own
librettos and of essays on musical and philosophical topics); also noted
conductor, in which function he earned a living and visited London in 1855 and
1877. Born in Leipzig, traveled much, met much opposition. From Rienzi (1842)
went on to write successful operas The Flying Dutchman, Tannhauser, and
Lohengrin; then, exemplifying his new theories of the proper relation of music
and drama, composed Tristan and Isolde, The Ring (cycle of 4 operas), and
Parsifal. These show a "symphonic" conception of opera, proceeding by leading
motives (i.e., themes) not through the contrast of set "numbers". Wagner aimed
at the Gesamtkunstwerk, the work of art uniting all the arts; the Festival
Theater at Bayreuth (opened 1876) was built to his own revolutionary design
with this in mind. His only mature comic opera is The Mastersingers of
Nuremberg. Other compositions include A Faust Overture, Siegfried Idyll, and 5
song settings (with piano) of poems by Mathilde Wesendonk, at that time his
mistress. Afterward he took as mistress Cosima, wife of Bulow and daughter of
Liszt, and married her when his first wife died. He died in Venice. Influenced
the course of music as much as any composer -- as to operatic structure,
harmony, and orchestration. Introduced the Wagner tuba.