What is Richard Wagner most famous for?

Richard Wagner is most famous as a composer of operas like The Ring, Tannhäuser, and Tristan and Isolde.

What are some interesting facts about Richard Wagner?

Some interesting facts about Richard Wagner are that he was not a virtuoso player of any particular musical instrument, he designed his own theatre to maximise the performance of his operas, and he held controversial views on race.

What disease Richard Wagner did die of?

Richard Wagner died of heart disease, suffering a heart attack in Venice on 13 February 1883.

Why did Wagner flee Germany?

Richard Wagner was obliged to flee Germany for 11 years because of his public support of insurrectionists against the ruling establishment.

Richard Wagner Timeline

Definition

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was a German composer of Romantic music most famous for his epic operas like The Ring, Tannhäuser, and Tristan and Isolde. Wagner was concerned throughout his career with the theme of redemption through love and with presenting what he called 'total artworks', where music, poetry, and drama were uniquely combined into a single performance.

More about: Richard Wagner

Timeline

1813 - 1883
Life of the German composer Richard Wagner.
22 May 1813
The composer Richard Wagner is born in Leipzig, Germany.
Jun 1830
Richard Wagner enrols at the University of Leipzig to study music.
1833
Richard Wagner takes up a position as chorus master in Würzburg.
1834
Richard Wagner composes his opera Die Feen (The Fairies).
1836
Richard Wagner's opera Das Lieberverbot (Love's Interdict or The Ban on Love) premieres in Magdeburg.
24 Nov 1836
Richard Wagner marries the actress Wilhelmine (Minna) Planer.
1837 - 1839
Richard Wagnr lives in Riga.
1839 - 1842
Richard Wagner lives in Paris.
1842
Richard Wagner moves to Dresden.
Oct 1842
The premiere of Richard Wagner's opera Rienzi in Dresden's Hoftheatre.
Jan 1843
Richard Wagner's opera Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) premieres in Dresden.
Oct 1845
Richard Wagner's opera Tannhäuser premieres in Dresden.
1849
Implicated in a popular uprising, Richard Wagner is obliged to flee Dresden for Switzerland.
1849
Richard Wagner writes his essay Das Kunstwerk der Zukunft (The Artwork of the Future).
1850
Richard Wagner writes his essay Das Judenthum in der Musik (Jewry in Music).
Aug 1850
Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin premieres at the Weimar Court Theatre.
1851
Richard Wagner writes his essay Oper und Drama (Opera and Drama).
1852
Richard Wagner conducts an extramarital affair with Mathilde Wesendonk.
c. 1865
Richard Wagner lives in Munich where he receives the patronage of King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
Jun 1865
Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde premieres at the Munich Court Theatre.
Jun 1868
Richard Wagner's opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) premieres in Munich.
1870
Richard Wagner marries Cosima von Bülow.
1876
Richard Wagner's operatic cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring) premieres in Bayreuth.
1882
Richard Wagner's final opera Parsifal premieres in Bayreuth.
13 Feb 1883
The composer Richard Wagner dies of a heart attack while in Venice.