Wagner

Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director and conductor , but was primarily known for his operas. Unlike most opera composers, Wagner wrote both the text and the music for each of his works.

Initially, Wagner established his reputation as a composer of works in the romantic vein of Weber and Meyerbeer, but his ideal was to unify all works of art via the theatre. In his book “Opera and Drama” (completed in 1851), he describes in detail his idea of the union of opera and drama.

Wagner’s compositions, especially those in later years, are notable for their complex textures, rich harmonies and orchestration, and the elaborate use of ‘ leitmotifs’: musical phrases associated with individual characters, places, ideas or plot elements. His advances in musical language, such as his use of new combinations of chords, keys and harmonies, greatly influenced the development of classical music. His “Tristan und Isolde” is sometimes described as marking the start of modern music.