Richard Wagner's Music And Political Action: Nationalist Composer

Valerie Caballero

Music and Political Action

Research Paper

Nationalist Composer’s

Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig Germany on May 22nd, 1813. When he was a young boy Wagner’s father passed away a few months after he was born, but his mother Johanna remarried a close family friend, Ludwig Geyer. He was an actor, playwright, and painter, Geyer was also looked at as important father figure in Wagner’s life. Geyer realized Wagner expressed no musical attribute even his teachers said, “he would torture the piano” but as time went on Wagner showed great determination and interest in theater and music after Greyer introduced him to theatrical life. This led Wagner to write his first drama at the age of 11 and encouraged him to start taking

Due to Americans breaking free from British rule and creating their own independent nation. At the time European citizens were still living under monarchy rule with Louis XIV as their leader. The citizens of Europe decided to come together and fight against the dissatisfaction of the monarchy, by demanding for participation in government, fair wages and freedom of press. After a long and bloody battle French citizens were successful and along with their victory it brought fear to other monarchs. Especially in Germany because lower-class families started to riot due to the high taxation and food rationing. The riot brought violent disturbances as leaders were afraid of losing their position and being executed. Richard Wagner was known as nationalist as his compositions promoted unifying Germany and his beliefs in complete superiority of the Germanic race. Although Wagner is looked at as a controversial artist as his works were anti-sematic and promoted extermination of all Jews and other ethnic groups. Wagner’s music was an inspiration to Adolf Hitler and inspired Hitler to play his compositions at all Nazi meetings and even played them on every speaker at concentration