Richard Wagner lived from 1813 to 1883. It is noteworthy that Wagner "wrote both the scenario and libretto" for his operas. As part of his dedication to the staging of operas, he built his own opera house (the Bayreuth Festspielhaus), and his most significant works continue to be performed there "in an annual festival run by his descendants."
Among Wagner's well-known operas are Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman), Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, and the four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung).
The following composers were greatly influenced by Wagner and his music: Anton Bruckner, Cesar Franck, Jules Massenet, Richard Strauss, and Gustav Mahler.
Wagner also "made a major contribution to the principles and practice of conducting. His essay 'About Conducting' (1869) ... claimed that conducting was a means by which a musical work could be re-interpreted, rather than simply a mechanism for achieving orchestral unison."
Leave your comments and impressions below. And, don't forget to read the fifteenth installment for next week.
-----
You just finished reading Essential Opera - Reading Together - Part 14.
Sign up here for my free monthly newsletter!
Connect with me on Twitter and Pinterest.
No comments:
Post a Comment