The Bayreuth Festspielhaus stands today as a testament to Richard Wagner’s ambition and self-importance – a theatre designed and built solely for the performances of his immersive ‘music dramas’. From the influence of Beethoven to the transcendental properties of his greatest music, Wagner’s work became a cornerstone of European musical culture, but what kind of journey took him towards this remarkable achievement? In this fascinating audio biography we hear about Wagner’s tempestuous personal life, his controversial political views and his struggles to establish himself as one of the most influential musical visionaries of the 19th century. The narrative is illustrated with excerpts from all of his best-loved operas including the Ring cycle, Tristan und Isolde, Lohengrin, Der fliegende Holländer, Parsifal, and more.
Caddy, Davinia - Author
Great Composers in Words and Music - Richard Wagner
1 Introduction 00:09
Wagner, Richard
Lohengrin, Act III: Prelude (excerpt)
2 Lohengrin, Act III: Prelude (excerpt) 01:32
Caddy, Davinia - Author
Great Composers in Words and Music - Richard Wagner
3 On laying the foundation stone of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 22 May 1872, Richard Wagner - who turned 59 years old that day - declared: 'I need a theatre such as I alone can build…' 07:07
Beethoven, Ludwig van
String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: V. Presto (excerpt)
4 String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: V. Presto (excerpt) 00:42
Caddy, Davinia - Author
Great Composers in Words and Music - Richard Wagner
5 An extract from Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet in C sharp minor, Op. 131 is a useful place to start to sketch Wagner's life history. 02:19
Wagner, Richard
Symphony in C Major: I. Sostenuto e maestoso - Allegro con brio (excerpt)
6 Symphony in C Major: I. Sostenuto e maestoso - Allegro con brio (excerpt) 00:51
Caddy, Davinia - Author
Great Composers in Words and Music - Richard Wagner
7 Given his family's theatrical pursuits, it is perhaps no surprise that Wagner turned his attention from the concert hall to the stage. 02:37
Wagner, Richard
Die Feen (The Fairies), Act I: Overture (excerpt)
8 Die Feen (The Fairies), Act I: Overture (excerpt) 01:24
Caddy, Davinia - Author
Great Composers in Words and Music - Richard Wagner
9 Wagner's second completed opera Das Liebesverbot ('The Ban on Love'), a comic opera in two acts modelled on Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, was written during the composer's brief tenure as… 04:46
Wagner, Richard
Wagner, Richard - Lyricist
Rienzi, Act II: Chor der Friedensboten (Chorus of the Messengers of Peace) (excerpt)
10 Rienzi, Act II: Chor der Friedensboten (Chorus of the Messengers of Peace) (excerpt) 01:14
Caddy, Davinia - Author
Great Composers in Words and Music - Richard Wagner
11 Triumph, however, did not ensue. Rather, calamity, disillusionment and failure. 03:46
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