Contents
Richard Wagner
Creating The Ring of the Nibelung and reshaping opera through continuous music and recurring themes.
Tristan und Isolde · The Ring of the Nibelung
- Born
- 22 May 1813
- Birthplace
- Leipzig, Germany
- Died
- 13 February 1883
More people
Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner was a German composer and theatre innovator who wrote both the music and texts of his mature operas. His artistic influence exists alongside a documented legacy of antisemitic writing.
Early life
Theatre surroundings
Grew up with strong connections to theatre and became interested in drama before committing to music.
Early study
Studied music in Leipzig and began composing while still young.
Career
- 1830s
Theatre conductor
Worked in German-speaking opera houses while developing his first stage works.
- 1849
Political exile
Fled Saxony after involvement in the Dresden uprising and spent years abroad.
- 1876
Bayreuth Festival
Opened a purpose-built theatre with the first complete staging of the Ring cycle.
Selected work
Tristan und Isolde
An opera whose unsettled harmonies influenced later composers.
The Ring of the Nibelung
Four linked operas explore power, desire and destruction through myth.
Parsifal
His final stage work centres on compassion, ritual and redemption.
Beyond work
Antisemitic writings
Published attacks on Jewish musicians and Jewish participation in cultural life, including the essay Judaism in Music.
Royal patronage
King Ludwig II of Bavaria provided financial support that helped sustain his ambitious projects.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Franz Hanfstaengl. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
