Biography and Chief Works of

 Richard Wagner

1813.

  • Born in Leipzig, ninth child of clerk to City Police Courts.  Father died same year.  Mother married Geyer, an actor, the following year, and moved to Dresden, where Geyer was a member of the Royal Court players.  

  • A good stepfather.  Richard brought up in atmosphere of theatre.  

  • But Geyer died in 1821.

1822.

  • Went to school in Dresden.  Interested in literature and studied Greek with enthusiasm.  

  • Wrote a tragedy.  

  • Also played the piano, and had patriotic admiration for Weber, whom he met.

1827.

  • Returned to Leipzig. Often played truant from school. Sisters on the stage. Heard Beethoven's 'Fidelio' and ninth symphony, both of which made a great impression on him.Began to study harmony and to compose.Also interested in revolutionary political ideas.

1831.

  • Went to Leipzig University, to study music, art and aesthetics.  Had first compositions published.  Symphony in C major performed.

1833.

  • First appointment, as chorus master at Wurzburg opera house, getting valuable theatrical experience.  Wrote two operas.  Held a series of similar posts at Magdeburg, Königsberg and Riga.

1836.

  • Married Minna, but they had frequent quarrels, culminating in separation in 1862.  

  • Began to write 'Rienzi'.

1839.

Sailed for London, en route for Paris.  Stormy voyage took 3½ weeks. Thought of legend of 'Flying Dutchman'. Crossed to France.Meyerbeer, the operatic composer, befriended him.

Three years of struggle and disappointment in Paris.  

Completed 'Rienzi', the 'Faust' overture, and the libretto of 'The Flying Dutchman'.Began to think about 'Tannhauser'and 'Lohengrin'. But nothing got performed. 

Was impressed by Berlioz's music.

1841. 

'Rienzi' accepted in Dresden, and 'The Flying Dutchman' in Berlin - the turn of his fortunes.

1842.

Became conductor of Dresden opera.  'Rienzi' successfully produced.  'The Flying Dutchman' given only four performances in Dresden, but both operas began to be performed elsewhere.  

Wrote and produced 'Tannhauser' in 1845, and conducted Beethoven's ninth symphony in 1846.

Wrote 'Lohengrin' in 1847.  

Continual pecuniary troubles.  

Gradually becoming a political agitator.

1849.

Took a large share in an abortive revolution.  Warrant issued for his arrest.  Fled to Liszt in Weimar; then on to Switzerland with a false passport.

Period of first exile.  

Made Zurich his headquarters and began to write books on his theories of opera and drama.  Also wrote an article against Jews, attacking Meyerbeer who had befriended him.

Liszt performed 'Lohengrin' in Weimar in 1850, and began a Wagner movement in German).  

But Wagner himself could not attend performances, as he would have been arrested.  Wrote libretto of 'The Ring' and began the music for it.  Conducted concerts in Zurich.  

A Wagner festival was held there in 1853 - Paid several visits to Paris, where he met Liszt's daughter Cosima, then aged 16.  

Visited London in 1855, where his music was fiercely condemned by critics, but applauded by public.  A love affair stimulated his writing of 'Tristan and Isolde'.

1858.

Moved to Venice, but after some months there, police asked him to leave, because of his political reputation.

1859.

Moved to Paris.  Lost money on concerts he gave.  Grand performance of revised 'Tannhauser' in 1861 proved a fiasco after 164 rehearsals, costing £8,000.  Intense feelings for and against his music.

1861.

Allowed at last to return to Germany.  Went to Vienna, where 'Lohengrin' and 'The Flying Dutchman' given most successful performances.  Performance of ‘Tristan and Isolde’ also promised, but continually postponed.  

Returned to Paris and wrote libretto of 'The Mastersingers'.  

Traveled widely, giving concerts, but always in debt, and being continually frustrated in getting performances of his operas.  His fortunes at a very low ebb.

1864.

Ludwig II, aged 18, acceded to the throne of Bavaria.  A Wagner worshipper. Immediately sent for Wagner, gave him a pension and a house, and offered facilities for performances in Munich. Cosima Liszt, who had married Wagner's friend, the conductor Von Bülow, in 1857, came to live with him. 'Tristan' performed in 1865; but cabals formed against him, on account of the King's favoritism, and on the score of extravagance. Finally Ludwig forced to ask him to leave Munich.

1865.

Second exile in Switzerland.  

Settled with Cosima near Lucerne, where stayed for six years.  Completed 'Mastersingers', 'Siegfried', and most of 'The Twilight of the Gods', and wrote further prose works.  Cosima gave Wagner three children, two girls and a boy, Siegfried, born in 1869.  'The Siegfried Idyll' was performed outside Cosima's bedroom on her birthday, as a tribute in 1870.

Ludwig, in spite of his disapproval of Cosima, continued to support him artistically. 'The Mastersingers' performed in Munich in 1869, and 'The Valkyrie' in 1870

1871.

Wagner Societies formed throughout Europe to raise funds for the erection of a Wagnerian opera house at Bayreuth. The municipality gave the site, and Wagner went to live there in 1872, to superintend the erection.  Sunken orchestra Of 114 players.  Seats for 1,500.  Ludwig also gave his support, and built a house for them, "Villa Wahnfried ".

1876.

First festival held at Bayreuth.  'The Ring' performed in its entirety.  Began to compose 'Parsifal'.  

Performed there in 1882 - not allowed to be performed elsewhere for 20 years.  III health made him spend much of his time in Italy.

1883.

Died in Venice. Interred with much ceremony at Bayreuth. His wife continued to direct at Bayreuth, and lived till 1930.

A notorious character, with a fiery eye and a dramatic but charming personality.  Loved luxurious living, and had many love affairs.  

An ardent republican and anti-cleric. Was aggressively sure of his own genius, even when everything went against him.  

Wrote many ponderous volumes on " the art work of the future", of which he was convinced he was the prophet. 

Influenced by Beethoven, Weber and Gluck.

Although he wrote a number of other works, it is only his music dramas " (as he preferred to call his operas) that have lived.  He wrote the librettos of them all, in. addition to the music.  They are very long, and require large-scale production.  The texture is so symphonic that extracts from them are often performed in the concert hall.

Music dramas:

 'Rienzi'; 'The Flying Dutchman'; 'Tannhauser'; 'Lohengrin'; 'The Ring' (comprising 'The Rhinegold', 'The Valkyrie', -'Siegfried', and 'The Twilight of the Gods'); 'Tristan and Isolde'; 'The Mastersingers'; and 'Parsifal'. Also a few early operas that are never performed.

Orchestral works:

 'The Siegfried Idyll'; 'Faust' overture; 'Symphony in C major'; and some others which are rarely performed.

A few unimportant choral works, piano pieces and songs.