Richard Wagner and Opera Essay - 821 Words

Richard Wagner and Opera One of the key figures in the history of opera, Wagner was largely responsible for altering its orientation in the nineteenth century. His program of artistic reform accelerated the trend towards organically conceived, through-composed structures, as well as influencing the development of the orchestra, of a new breed of singer, and of various aspects of theatrical practice. As the most influential composer during the second half of the nineteenth century, Richard Wagners conception of music remains very much with us even a century after his death. He was a remarkable innovator both in harmony and the structure of his work, creating his own version of the Gesamtkunstwerk, dramatic†¦show more content†¦For Wagner, the function of music was to serve the ends of dramatic expression, and all of his most important compositions were composed for the theater. Particularly in Tannhauser, Wagner brilliantly adapted the substance of the German Romantic libretto to the framework of gra nd opera. The music evoked the opposite worlds of sin and blessedness with great emotional fervor and a luxuriant harmony and color. The Pilgrims Chorus from this opera contains what is perhaps Wagners most popular and widely known melody. Fatefully, despite his musical successes, things took a bad turn for Wagner when, in 1848, he was caught up in political revolution, and the next year he fled to Weimar where Franz Liszt helped him. Later he fled to Switzerland and France. Lohengrin was first performed under the direction of Franz Liszt at Weimar in 1850, and it is the last of Wagners works that he ever referred to as an opera. Lohengrin embodies several changes prophetic of the Music Dramas that were to follow it. The story comes from medieval legend, but Wagners treatment is generalized and symbolic. The technique of recurring themes was further developed, particularly with respect to the motives associated with Lohengrin and the Grail. Using Webers Der Freischà ¼tz as a model to a certain extent, Wagner used tonality with his characters to help organize both the drama and theShow MoreRelatedA comparison between the Italian and German Opera; Specifically using examples from Guiseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner2496 Words   |  10 PagesThe Italian opera and the German opera are two different fields that both share characteristics, some of which are paralleled, and some of which contrast. Specifically, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner use motifs such as: redemption through love, patriotism, and sacrifice which run throughout both of their operas. The theme of betrayal also seems to be echoed throughout both operas; yet they are each used to project a different response. 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He attended school in Dresden, German, growing up, he showed very little interest in music he was only concerned with writing poetry. Wagner continued on and at the age of 11, he had written his very own drama, and by the age of 16 he was composingRead MoreReview Of Richard Strausss The Ring Of The Nibelungen 1757 Words   |  8 PagesWilhelm Richard Wagner (German, 22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, known for its opera and Musical. He is not only a composer, but also a theatre director and polemicist. He was a pivotal figure in the history of German opera Front undertake Mozart, Beethoven’s opera tradition, turned back the trend of post-romanticism opera composer Richard Strauss followed. At the same time, because he was the complexity of the political, religious thought, has become the most controversial