Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
German operatic composer famous for some of the most visionary and powerful music of all time. His defining work is
the collosal 'Ring Cycle' a four part opera to be played over 4 days, featuring over 15 hours of dense orchestral music. It is one
of the crowning acheivements in all Art.
Wagner himself led a stormy life, exiled from Germany for a brief time on political grounds, and with a tempestuous love life.
He had to struggle throughout his life to get his vision of 'Music and Drama' heard, but was eventually awarded the
patronage of King Ludwig of Bavaria, and had a unique opera house built in Bayreuth, especially for his music dramas.
He wrote little outside of opera, and all his works call for very large orchestra and vocal writing of the most
technically difficult in the repertoire.
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