Richard Wagner Biography

Richard Wagner was born on May 22nd 1813 in Leipzig, Germany to Friedrich and Johanna Wagner. His father later died that same year in October from typhoid fever and Ludwig Geyer, who was a close friend to the family, became Wagner’s adoptive father after marrying Wagner’s mother on August 28th 1814. ½ Wagner began his formal studies in Dresden in December of 1822, but he was much less interested in school studies than he was in aspects of music and theatre. Eventually he enrolled in Leipzig University to study music in February of 1831. 3 Wagner’s first professional career was being a chorus master at a theatre in Wurzburg from 1833 to 1834. However upon return to Leipzig in 1834 he met Heinrich Laube, and became involved with the literary and political movement Junges Deutschland, and began to follow not only musical philosophies such as the rejection of the classicalism of Mozart but also a favoritism towards hedonism and sensuality, straying away from Catholic Morality. From there Wagner held many positions and traveled to many places, including musical director for a traveling theatre company where he met his future wife Christine Wilhelmine Planer, who was one of the lead singers of the company.

Wagner’s life was very troubling during his career however, his wife almost abandoning him for a merchant and having racked up a significant debt Wagner had to be smuggled with his wife and dog from Riga to Paris on account of their passports being impounded. Yet it was his experiences during his career that inspired many of his essays and operas, such as Der fliegende Hollander which was inspired by his journey onboard the merchant ship Thetis while being smuggled to Paris. Upon arrival in Paris Wagner lived there from 1839 to 1842 ...

... middle of paper ...

...y believes musical text is far superior to purely instrumental text as having more ability to capture the human spirit and emotion. Yet despite his belief in superiority of musical text over instrumental music he does still find worth in symphonic music, particularly in the music of Beethoven. Wagner also goes on to state that while both forms of music are not on an equal level they both still are the ultimate embodiment of emotion and expression, and that each style of human expression through music is more powerful alone than with both forms together.

Richard Wagner was an operatic composer who faced much adversity during his career. However it is his adversity that shaped much of his musical beliefs and ideals, which have influenced not only the world of music and opera but that how society should hold music to the same worth and value as the ancient Greeks did.