Richard Wagner

“Children, create new things!” This was the motto, boisterously phrased by the composer himself, guiding the work of Richard Wagner (1813–1883). Although he concentrated almost exclusively on a single genre, opera, his influence on the music of his time and on subsequent generations of composers was paramount. Particularly revolutionary were his harmonies, which could continue at length without any fixed centre, staying in constant motion, as well as his treatment of the orchestra, which aimed to blend individual colours into an overall sound.

To describe Wagner’s life as ‘turbulent’ would be a gross understatement, as it resembled a rollercoaster ride of artistic triumphs, financial disasters that brought him to the brink of bankruptcy, and personal escapades that could serve as fodder for the tabloid press even today. After growing up in the theatre milieu, Wagner had to endure a long, discouraging dry spell before being entrusted with his first position as Kapellmeister in Dresden in 1843 at the age of 30. In the failed revolution of 1848, Wagner abandoned everything he had achieved and took the side of the democratic bourgeoisie. After the uprising was crushed, Wagner, wanted by the authorities, fled to Switzerland.

In the years that followed, Wagner became a European celebrity whose works aroused passionate support and bitter aversion like no others. He faced financial ruin several times but always managed to find support from wealthy and sometimes prominent patrons such as King Ludwig II of Bavaria. When the tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), which Wagner had been working on since the 1840s, premiered at the inaugural Bayreuth Festival in 1876, the composer was at the zenith of his fame. Six years later, the festival continued with the premiere of Wagner’s last opera, Parsifal, among other works. Wagner died on 13 February 1883. The controversial fascination prompted by his work and life has led to an unprecedented proliferation of literature on Wagner, which continues unabated to this day.