The life of Richard :: essays research papers

born Leipzig, 22 May 1813 died Venice, 13 February 1883). He was the son either of the police actuary Friedrich Wagner, who died soon after his birth, or of his mothers friend the painter, actor and poet Ludwig Geyer, whom she married in August 1814. He went to school in Dresden and then Leipzig at 15 he wrote a play, at 16 his first compositions. In 1831 he went to Leipzig University, also studying music with the Thomaskantor, C.T. Weinlig a symphony was written and successfully performed in 1832. In 1833 he became chorus master at the Wrzburg theatre and wrote the text and music of his first opera, Die Feen this remained unheard, but his next, Das Liebesverbot, written in 1833, was ordered in 1836. By then he had made his dbut as an opera conductor with a small company which however went wear soon after performing his opera. He married the singer Minna Planer in 1836 and went with her to Knigsberg where he became musical director at the theatre, but he soon left and took a simi lar post in Riga where he began his next opera, Rienzi, and did much conducting, especially of Beethoven. In 1839 they slipped away from creditors in Riga, by ship to London and then to Paris, where he was befriended by Meyerbeer and did hack-work for publishers and theatres. He also worked on the text and music of an opera on the Flying Dutchman legend but in 1842 Rienzi, a large-scale opera with a political theme set in imperial Rome, was accepted for Dresden and Wagner went there for its highly successful premiere. Its theme reflects something of Wagners give politics (he was involved in the semi-revolutionary, intellectual Young Germany movement). Die fliegende Hollnder (The Flying Dutchman), given the next year, was less well received, though a much tauter musical drama, root system to move away from the number opera tradition and strong in its evocation of atmosphere, especially the supernatural and the raging seas (inspired by the stormy trip from Riga). Wagner was now appo inted reefer Kapellmeister at the Dresden court. The theme of redemption through a womans love, in the Dutchman, recurs in Wagners operas (and perhaps his life). In 1845 Tannhuser was completed and performed and Lohengrin begun. In both Wagner moves towards a to a greater extent continuous texture with semi-melodic narrative and a supporting orchestral fabric helping convey its sense.