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Romantic movement is expressed best by Wagner’s music Music Dramas Saw himself as a hero Everything he conceived was larger than life Lived extravagantly Made many enemies One of the most innovative artists of the era One of the most brilliant and original musicians of the time Born1813 in Leipzig, Germany Wrote the words and the music for his operas (the libertti) First opera, "Die Feen", composed at age 20 Worked as a conductor with a traveling opera troop Married Minna, an actress Paris - piano and band arrangements of popular operatic tunes by other composers Spent time in debtor's prison First masterpiece, "The Flying Dutchman", was produced in 1843 Moved to Dresden where the “Dutchman” was produced and where he composed "Tannhauser" and "Lohengrin" Wagner’s Birthplace Left Dresden for Switzerland where he lived in exile Sketched out a cycle of 4 operas, "The Ring of the Nibeling" His wife leaves him Falls in love with Mathilde Wesendonck 1856-1859 he composes "Tristan" Moves to Vienna in 1860 Flees in 1864 due to debt Ludwig II offers him money Wagner's spending bankrupt the country; Ludwig forced to exile the composer Becomes romantically involved with Cosima von Bulow (Liszt’s daughter) Begins building a festival theater in Bayreuth - first production in 1882 with the "Ring" cycle Composed his final opera, "Parsifal" Died in Venice, 1882 Wagner believed that art and opera must be more than a diversion His idea is called Gesamtkunstwerk (Total Work) Totally revolutionized Harmony by completely avoiding resolution with known, stable chords Orchestra is important now, and has an equal part in the opera with the singers. Constructed scores with a symphonic sound in mind The singing becomes an instrument in the overall effect Expanded the size of the orchestra Invented new instruments (the Wagner tuba) Wagner regarded himself as "the most German of men” and "the German spirit“ He composed 13 operas and numerous other compositions He has been classified as an anarchist, a socialist, a protofascist, a nationalist, a vegetarian and an anti-Semite. His name appeared in connection with almost all major trends in German history of the 19th and 20th centuries! He wrote books and articles and around 10,000 letters on various aspects of German life and nationalism. He often was seen to be an “extremist” and very passionate in the belief of German Nationalism. Tubas are the largest brass instruments. The first tuba was made in Germany by a composer named Richard Wagner. Gesamtkunstwerk Bayreuth Endless melody Leitmotifs Chromatic harmony Der Fliegende Hollander, Wagner's scenario is that the Dutchman has earned his septennial year reprieve and has taken shelter from a storm in a port in Norway. The Dutchman befriends the captain of a neighboring vessel, who becomes so taken with him and his apparent wealth that he offers the Dutchman his daughter's hand in marriage. Richard Wagner believed that opera did not have to have anything to do with reality; anyway it's a fairy tale. Up at the home of the Norwegian Captain, his daughter Senta sits and stares at a picture of the mythical Flying Dutchman and her handsome Captain that just happens to be hanging on a wall in their house. She sings a romantic ballad about how she'd love to be the one to break the curse. Lo and behold, Daddy brings the guy from the picture home for dinner — and her hand in marriage. The poetry and rich musical textures of the heroine's ballad, the lovers' contrapuntal duet, and the "moment of truth" culminated in the protagonists' transfiguration through love, a theme that was to become central to Wagner's work. The Ride of the Valkyrie, which takes around eight minutes, begins in the prelude to the Act, building up successive layers of accompaniment until the curtain rises to reveal a mountain peak where four of the eight Valkyrie sisters of Brünnhilde have gathered in preparation for the transportation of fallen heroes to Valhalla. As they are joined by the other four, the familiar tune is carried by the orchestra, while, above it, the Valkyries greet each other and sing their battle-cry. Apart from the song of the Rhinemaidens in Das Rheingold, it is the only ensemble piece in the first three operas of Wagner’s Ring cycle. Wagner relied heavily on the version of the legends found in The Saga of the Volsungs. Unlike the music drama, the saga meanders through many generations of Volsungs before reaching Sigurd. In the saga, Sigurd's half brother Sinfjotli is of incestuous birth; Wagner transfers this motif, and the dramatic story that surrounds it, to his principal hero, Siegfried (Sigurd). The wisdom imparted to the hero by the Valkyrie Brunnehilde (the Norse Brynhild), whom Wagner makes a daughter of Wotan, is an important element in Siegfried's maturation process and one that is most fully described in the Norse material. Wagner's Wedding March is one of the most popular and familiar melodies and the traditional wedding theme. It is the standard wedding march played as the bride walks down the aisle at weddings. It came from Wagner's opera Lohengrin, where it was used in a wedding scene between the characters Elsa and Lohengrin. In the opera, the marriage is doomed to fail. This is usually played on an organ with no vocal accompaniment, but in Wagner's opera, there were words that went along with it. It is sung by the bridal party after the wedding. Wagner was notoriously anti-Semitic. As a result, the song is rarely played at Jewish weddings. I would say that Wagner's wedding march is one that in not only my opinion, but in that of many others, portrays all the grandness of a wedding ceremony; as it slowly and regally captures all the majestic mood of a lovely bride making her way to the alter with attire to match a queen. Having said this as truth I do however, find it strange that so many would play it at their weddings. This being the case since the wedding ceremony that was to be did not take place and the story of Elsa and Lohengrin is one which I imagine most couples would like to avoid yet despite everything; Wagner's wedding march is played throughout most of the world. History of Opera Music. Opera Glasses, 2011. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://www.operaglasses.com/opera-glasses/historyoperamusicarticle.cfm>. Italian Baroque Opera Alcina by Handel – Story of Sorcery, Magic and Heroes. Opera Genius, 2011. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. <http://www.operagenius.com/>. Millington, Barry "Parsifal." In The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Web 13 Sept 2011. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/O002803 Millington, Barry (Ed.) (1992) The Wagner Compendium: A Guide to Wagner's Life and Music. Thames and Hudson Ltd., London. Oxford Music Online. Oxforn University Press, 2011. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/public/page/operatimeline>. Richard Wagner and Wagner Operas. WagnerOpera.net, 2011. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. <http://www.wagneropera.net/>. Romantic Era-Richard Wagner. Music History, 2011. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. <http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/rom/wagner.html>.