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RICHARD WAGNER BIOGRAPHY

Richard Wagner was born on May 22, 1813 in Leipzig, Germany. Wagner's childhood was spent in a theatrical home. After listening to Beethoven, Wagner decided to become a composer.

In 1834, Wagner became the music director of an opera company in Madeburg. He began concentrating his compositions on operas. In 1835, Wagner began work on his first major opera "Rienzi", but soon had to flee to Prussia because of oustanding debts he could not pay. He ended up in France, where things got so bad, he actually spent some weeks in a debtor's prison. Wagner was introduced by a German friend to the stories of Tannhauser and Lohengrin. From this, Wagner developed an interest in Mythology.

One of the operas from Wagner's "The Ring" is "Die Walkure" which is about a woman, Sieglinde who shelters a warrior who becomes her lover, Siegmund (who later on turns out to be her brother). Brunnhilde, the Valkryie (the helper of the Gods and daughter of the God Wotan) helps Siegmund escape against Wotan's wishes. Wotan intervenes and kills Siegmund and punishes Brünnhilde by putting her to sleep on a rock surrounded by fire. The opera ends with Wotan stating that only a hero would be able to pass through the fire to rescue her and become her husband.

Richard Wagner married Cosima Liszt (the daughter of composer Franz Liszt). In 1864, Wagner finally found a benefactor in King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who supported and encouraged him to compose his mammoth operas. Wagner's music is known for its use of "leitmotives" (a melody corresponding to persons or ideas), atonality, suspensions, chromaticism, rich textures and long and technically complicated vocal parts. Wagner died in 1883 from a heart attack. Wagner turned opera into a vehicle for intense emotion, complicated theatrical stagings and taboo themes. No other composer has been able to match that.

Wagner's Greatest Works:

"The Ring" ("Das Rheingold", "Die Walkure", "Siegfried" and "Gotterdammerung") Operas
"The Flying Dutchman" Opera
"Parsifal" Opera
"Lohengrin" Opera
"Tristan und Isolde" Opera
"Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" Opera
"Tannhauser" Opera

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