The life of Richard :: essays research papers

born Leipzig, 22 May 1813 died Venice, 13 February 1883). He was the male child either of the police actuary Friedrich Wagner, who died soon after his birth, or of his mothers adorer 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 premier(prenominal) 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 choir master at the Wrzburg theatre and wrote the text and music of his first opera, Die Feen this remained unheard, however his next, Das Liebesverbot, written in 1833, was staged in 1836. By then he had made his dbut as an opera conductor with a small company which however went ruin soon after performing his opera. He married the singer Minna sheet in 1836 and went with her to Knigsberg where he became musical director at the theatre, but he soon left and took a similar post in Riga where he began his next opera, Rienzi, and did much conducting, especially of Beethoven. In 1839 they slipped onward 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 in that respect for its highly successful premiere. Its theme reflects something of Wagners own politics (he was involved in the semi-revolutionary, intellectual Young Germany movement). Die fliegende Hollnder (The Flying Dutchman), given the next year, was less sound received, though a much tauter musical drama, beginning to move forward from the number opera tradition and strong in its evocation of atmosphere, especially the supernatural and the barbarian seas (inspired by th e stormy trip from Riga). Wagner was now appointed joint Kapellmeister at the Dresden court. The theme of redemption through a womans love, in the Dutchman, recurs in Wagners operas (and possibly 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 framework helping convey its sense.