Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner was a nineteenth-century German composer whose operas transformed the art form through their unprecedented length, mythological scope, and integration of music with drama.
His works—particularly the four-opera *Ring* cycle—remain central to the operatic repertoire.
Wagner's influence extends to film scoring and leitmotif technique.
His virulent antisemitism and later association with Nazi ideology make him a controversial figure: Can you separate Wagner's music from his politics?
Ancient Scandinavian civilization
- ValhallaHall for fallen warriors
- SiegfriedGermanic epic hero
- BrünnhildeNorse shield-maiden of opera
- ValkyrieOdin's death-selecting maiden
dragon · curse · redemption · saga · epic · legend · Germanic · heroic
Theatrical art combining song
- orchestraLarge instrumental ensemble
- conductorOne who directs musicians
- symphonyExtended composition for orchestra
- scoreNumerical standing in competition
classical · harmony · melody · virtuoso · sonata · concerto · maestro · polyphony
Emotion-centered artistic movement
- nineteenth-centuryThe years 1801-1900
- nationalismDevotion to one's country
- BeethovenGerman classical music giant
- LisztHungarian Romantic-era pianist-composer
Schopenhauer · Nietzsche · Dresden · Munich · exile · Zurich · revolution · 1848
Legendary Celtic knight
- IsoldeIrish princess of legend
- DutchmanMale Netherlands national
- librettoOpera's written words
- ariaOperatic solo piece
tenor · soprano · baritone · bass · recitative · overture · stage · tetralogy
Recurring thematic element
- themeCentral recurring concept
- recurrenceReturn of something previous
- signatureHandwritten name for verification
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
development · transformation · variation · foreshadowing · allusion · programmatic
Organized public celebration
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
- patronRegular supporter or customer
- theaterVenue for live drama
- stage designTheatrical set construction
acoustics · orchestra pit · premiere · annual · production · tradition · Winifred · dynasty
Norse
Ancient Scandinavian civilization
- ValhallaHall for fallen warriors
- SiegfriedGermanic epic hero
- BrünnhildeNorse shield-maiden of opera
Valkyrie · dragon · curse · redemption · saga · epic · legend · Germanic · heroic · Parsifal
opera
Theatrical art combining song
- orchestraLarge instrumental ensemble
- conductorOne who directs musicians
- symphonyExtended composition for orchestra
score · classical · harmony · melody · virtuoso · sonata · concerto · maestro · polyphony · tonality
Romanticism
Emotion-centered artistic movement
- nineteenth-centuryThe years 1801-1900
- nationalismDevotion to one's country
- BeethovenGerman classical music giant
Liszt · Schopenhauer · Nietzsche · Dresden · Munich · exile · Zurich · revolution · 1848 · antisemitism
Tristan
Legendary Celtic knight
aria · tenor · soprano · baritone · bass · recitative · overture · stage · tetralogy
motif
Recurring thematic element
- themeCentral recurring concept
- recurrenceReturn of something previous
- signatureHandwritten name for verification
symbolism · development · transformation · variation · foreshadowing · allusion · programmatic
festival
Organized public celebration
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
- patronRegular supporter or customer
- theaterVenue for live drama
stage design · acoustics · orchestra pit · premiere · annual · production · tradition · Winifred · dynasty
- German FiguresOtto von Bismarck, Bach, Beethoven, Albert Einstein, Goethe
- 1800s GermanyBismarck, Prussia, German unification, German Confederation, Congress of Vienna
- BavariaMunich, Bavaria, Nuremberg, Regensburg, lederhosen
- German GreatsBeethoven, Bach, Goethe, Marx, Karl Marx
- Wagner OperasSiegfried, Parsifal, Tristan, Ring Cycle, leitmotif
- Anthem ComposersFrancis Scott Key
Richard WagnerJohannes Brahms
Claude Debussy · John Cage · Philip Glass · Igor Stravinsky · Johann Sebastian Bach
Richard WagnerFelix Mendelssohn
Leonard Bernstein · George Gershwin · Irving Berlin · Aaron Copland
Richard WagnerJohannes Brahms
Igor Stravinsky · Giuseppe Verdi · Gilbert and Sullivan · bel canto · George Frideric Handel