Richard Wagner (composer)

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Wikipedia

Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( VAHG-nər; German: [ˈʁɪçaʁt ˈvaːɡnɐ] ; 22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most opera composers, Wagner wrote both the libretto and the music for each of his stage works. Initially establishing his reputation as a composer of works in the romantic vein of Carl Maria von Weber and Giacomo Meyerbeer, Wagner revolutionised opera through his concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art"), by which he sought to synthesise the poetic, visual, musical and dramatic arts, with music subsidiary to drama. He described this vision in a series of essays published between 1849 and 1852. Wagner realised these ideas most fully in the first half of the four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung).

His compositions, particularly those of his later period, are notable for their complex textures, rich harmonies and orchestration, and the elaborate use of leitmotifs—musical phrases associated with individual characters, places, ideas, or plot elements. His advances in musical language, such as extreme chromaticism and quickly shifting tonal centres, greatly influenced the development of classical music. His Tristan und Isolde is sometimes described as marking the start of modern music.

Wagner had his own opera house built, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which embodied many novel design features. The Ring and Parsifal were premiered here and his most important stage works continue to be performed at the annual Bayreuth Festival, which was galvanized by the efforts of his wife Cosima Wagner and the family's descendants. His thoughts on the relative contributions of music and drama in opera were to change again, and he reintroduced some traditional forms into his last few stage works, including Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg).

Until his final years, Wagner's life was characterised by political exile, turbulent love affairs, poverty and repeated flight from his creditors. His controversial writings on music, drama and politics have attracted extensive comment – particularly since the late 20th century, as they express antisemitic sentiments. The effect of his ideas can be traced in many of the arts throughout the 20th century; his influence spread beyond composition into conducting, philosophy, literature, the visual arts and theatre.

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Discography

Unspecified type

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1979Les Grandes OuverturesWagner1
1982Pages symphoniquesRichard Wagner; Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Paul Paray1
1985CBS Great Performances, Volume 2: Wagner: Great Orchestral Music From "The Ring"Wagner; Cleveland Orchestra, Szell2
1989Tristan und IsoldeRichard Wagner1
1992Die Walküre (Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Hoffman, Boulez)Richard Wagner1
1993The Compact "Ring"Richard Wagner1
1998Opernchöre: Treulich geführt…Richard Wagner1
2005Collection les Grands Compositeurs: Richard WagnerRichard Wagner; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra1
A Sonic Spectacular!Wagner; Leopold Stokowski, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra1
Brass At WalhallaWagner - Philip Jones Ensemble, Elgar Howarth1
Der Ring des Nibelungen (Extraits / Excerpts / Auszüge)Wagner; Deborah Polaski, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim1
Der fliegende Holländer (Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele feat. Conductor Joseph Keilberth)Richard Wagner1
Ouvertüren und VorspieleRichard Wagner1
Richard Wagner - Charles Gerhardt - National Philharmonic OrchestraRichard Wagner1
Siegfried: Der Ring des Nibelungen, Part 3Richard Wagner1
Stefan Mickisch / Die WalküreRichard Wagner1
The Best of WagnerRichard Wagner; Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy1
Wagner: Symphonic Synthesis of Tristan und Isolde / Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier SuiteRichard Wagner, Richard Strauss; American Youth Symphony, Mehli Mehta1
Wagner - Overtures & Orchestral MusicRichard Wagner1
Wagner: Das Rheingold, WWV 86ARichard Wagner1
Вагнер. ИзбранноеRichard Wagner1

Compilation

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1989Overtures and PreludesRichard Wagner1
1993Overtures & PreludesRichard Wagner; The Met Orchestra, James Levine1
1995Die Klassiksammlung 85: Wagner: Musikalischer PrunkRichard Wagner3
2005The Greatest Classical Hits of WagnerRichard Wagner1
OverturesRichard Wagner1
Preludes and OverturesRichard Wagner2

Album

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1944A Wagner ConcertWagner, Fritz Reiner Conducting The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra1
1952Die Walkure, Act 3Richard Wagner; Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan1
1952Die Meistersinger von NurnburgRichard Wagner, Herbert von Karajan, Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele & Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele2
1952Tristan und Isolde (1952 studio cast)Wagner; Ludwig Suthaus, Kirsten Flagstad, Blanche Thebom, Josef Greindl, Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau, Rudolf Schock, Edgar Evans, Rhydderch Davies, Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Wilhelm Furtwängler12
1955Die WalküreWagner; Furtwängler, Mödl, Suthaus, Rysanek, Frantz, Frick, Klose, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra5
1959Das Rheingold (1958 Vienna recording)Richard Wagner; George London, Kirsten Flagstad, Set Svanholm, Gustav Neidlinger, Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti8
1960Klemperer Conducts WagnerRichard Wagner; Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer1
1960OuverturesWagner; André Cluytens; Orchestre du Théâtre National de l’Opéra‐Comique1
1961Der fliegende Holländer: Großer OpernquerschnittRichard Wagner; Annelies Kupper, Sieglinde Wagner, Wolfgang Windgassen, Ernst Haefliger, Josef Metternich, Josef Greindl, RIAS-Kammerchor, RIAS Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Ferenc Fricsay1
1961Rhapsodies: Liszt, Enescu, Wagner, SmetanaLiszt, Enescu, Smetana, Wagner; Stokowski4
1961Tristan und IsoldeWagner; Birgit Nilsson, Fritz Uhl, Regina Resnik, Tom Krause, Arnold van Mill, Wiener Philharmoniker & Sir Georg Solti3
1962Der fliegende Holländer (1960 studio cast)Wagner; George London, Leonie Rysanek, Giorgio Tozzi, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Antal Doráti4
1963SiegfriedRichard Wagner; Windgassen, Nilsson, Hotter, Stolze, Joan Sutherland, Vienna Philharmonic, Solti5
1965Die WalküreRichard Wagner; Sir Georg Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker5
1965GötterdämmerungRichard Wagner; Wiener Philharmoniker, Georg Solti5
1970Ring des Nibelungen (Berliner Philharmoniker feat. director: Herbert von Karajan)Richard Wagner1
1971Tristan und Isolde (Stein, Nilsson, Vickers)Richard Wagner1
1971Die Meistersinger von NürnbergWagner; Kollo, Donath, Adam, Evans, Schreier, Hesse, Ridderbusch, Chor der Staatsoper Dresden, Chor des Leipziger Rundfunks, Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert von Karajan55
1971TannhäuserRichard Wagner; René Kollo, Christa Ludwig, Hans Sotin, Helga Dernesch, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti5
1973Les Grandes Pages symphoniques de la Tétralogie de WagnerWagner; Karl Böhm1
1977Symphonie Nr. 7 / Siegfried-IdyllAnton Bruckner, Richard Wagner; Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan1
1978Wagner: Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries / Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act I / Götterdämmerung: Siegfried’s Funeral Music / Siegfried: Forest MurmursRichard Wagner, Erich Leinsdorf & Los Angeles Philharmonic1
1980Die Walküre: Act 1Wagner; Lotte Lehmann, Lauritz Melchior, Emanuel List, Wiener Philharmoniker, Bruno Walter2
1980Wagner/ Grand Orchestre de Radio-Télé-LuxembourgRichard Wagner1
1981Die WalküreRichard Wagner, Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele & Pierre Boulez1
1982Lohengrin (Highlights)Richard Wagner; Berliner Philharmoniker, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Herbert von Karajan1
1982Tristan und IsoldeRichard Wagner; Staatskapelle Dresden, Carlos Kleiber24
1983Highlights from "The Ring" (New York Philharmonic feat. conductor: Zubin Mehta)Wagner; New York Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta3
1983Overtures: Tannhäuser, Der fliegende Holländer, Die FeenRichard Wagner; Concertgebouw Orchestra, Edo de Waart1
1983Sinfonía Num. 9 "Grande" / 2 escenas del AnilloSchubert, Wagner; Sir Georg Solti1
1983Tristan und IsoldeWagner; Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Leonard Bernstein2
1984ParsifalRichard Wagner; Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker, Peter Hofmann, Dunja Vejzovic, Kurt Moll, José van Dam, Siegmund Nimsgern, Victor von Halem, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin1
1984OrchestermusikRichard Wagner; Orchestre de Paris, Daniel Barenboim4
1984The Ring of the Nibelung and othersRichard Wagner1
1985Die Meistersinger von NürnbergRichard Wagner; Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau, Catarina Ligendza, Christa Ludwig, Plácido Domingo, Horst Laubenthal, Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Eugen Jochum52
1985Berühmte OuvertürenWolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gioachino Rossini, Otto Nicolai, Mikhail Glinka, Ludwig van Beethoven, Richard Wagner, Johann Strauss;Philharmonia Orchestra, George Randolph Warren1
1985Die WalküreRichard Wagner; Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan2
1985Das RheingoldRichard Wagner; Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan2
1985Der fliegende Holländer (1976 studio cast)Wagner;Norman Bailey, Janis Martin, René Kollo, Martti Talvela, Werner Krenn, Isola Jones, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Chorus & Sir Georg Solti2
1985GötterdämmerungRichard Wagner; Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan2
1985Götterdämmerung (1967 Bayreuth cast, composite recordings)Wagner; Windgassen, Stewart, Neidlinger, Greindl, Nilsson, Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele, Böhm2
1985Klemperer Conducts Wagner Album IIRichard Wagner, Philharmonia Orchestra & Otto Klemperer1
1985SiegfriedRichard Wagner; Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan2
1985TannhäuserWagner; Klaus König, Lucia Popp, Bernd Weikl, Waltraud Meier, Kurt Moll, Chor & Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Bernard Haitink1
1985Wesendonk-Lieder / Tristan und Isolde: Vorspiel / LiebestodRichard Wagner; Jessye Norman, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis1
1986Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Chor und Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper feat. conductor: Joseph Keilberth)Richard Wagner1
1986Fantasien für 8 HörnerWagner / Stiegler, Klier; Bayreuther Festspiel-Hornisten1
1986LohengrinWagner; Jess Thomas, Elisabeth Grümmer, Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau, Christa Ludwig, Gottlob Frick, Otto Wiener, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Richard Roßmayer, Wiener Philharmoniker, Rudolf Kempe4
1986ParsifalWagner; René Kollo, Gottlob Frick, Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau, Christa Ludwig, Zoltán Kelemen, Hans Hotter, Vienna Philharmonic, Sir Georg Solti2
1986Parsifal (1962 Bayreuth cast, composite recordings)Richard Wagner; Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele, Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele, Hans Knappertsbusch3
1986Siegfried Idyll / Overtures / PreludesWagner; Sinopoli, New York Philharmonic1
1986The Great Composers: Wagner - The RingRichard Wagner2
1986WagnerRichard Wagner; Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz1
1987Ouvertüren & VorspieleWagner; Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm1
1987Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1975-76 studio cast)Wagner; Bailey, Kollo, Bode, Hamari, Weikl, Moll, Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti3
1987SiegfriedRichard Wagner; Staatskapelle Dresden; Marek Janowski2
1987Die Walküre: Act I, Scene 3 / Ride of the Valkyries / Siegfried Idyll / Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and LiebestodRichard Wagner; Helen Traubel, Lauritz Melchior, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini2
1987LohengrinWagner; Sir Georg Solti, Plácido Domingo, Jessye Norman, Eva Randová, Siegmund Nimsgern, Hans Sotin, Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau, Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker2
1987OverturesWagner; London Philharmonic Orchestra1
1987Preludes and OverturesRichard Wagner; Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan1
1987Preludes & Overtures: Die Meistersinger / Lohengrin / Tannhäuser / Tristan und IsoldeWagner; Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan1
1987Preludes and OverturesWagner; Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell2
1987Wagner OverturesWagner2
1988Tristan und IsoldeRichard Wagner; Berliner Philharmoniker, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Herbert von Karajan, Vickers, Dernesch, Ludwig, Berry, Ridderbusch3
1988Scenes from Tristan und Isolde / Tannhäuser / Der Fliegende Holländer / GötterdämmerungWagner; Jessye Norman, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt4
1988Borodin: Polovtsian Dances / Glinka: Russian and Ludmilla Overture / Hummel: Trumpet Concerto / Wagner: Overture to TannhaüserBorodin, Glinka, Hummel, Wagner1
1988Die WalküreRichard Wagner; Hildegard Behrens, Jessye Norman, Christa Ludwig, Gary Lakes, James Morris, Kurt Moll, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine1
1988Die WalküreWagner; James Morris, Eva Marton, Waltraud Meier, Cheryl Studer, Reiner Goldberg, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Bernard Haitink2
1988Die Walküre · Querschnitt = Highlights = Extraits = Brani SceltiWagner - Hildegard Behrens, Jessye Norman, Gary Lakes, James Morris, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine1
1988OverturesRichard Wagner; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti1
1988Overtures and PreludesRichard Wagner; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti1
1988Ride of the Valkyries / Overture to TannhäuserRichard Wagner1
1988Richard WagnerRichard Wagner1

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