New Adventures in Good Music

This week on New Adventures in Good Music, we sally forth into the world of Opera once more.  This time we take a look at the darker side of Opera as we examine the life and Music of Richard Wagner.  

Wilhelm Richard Wagner (/ˈvɑːɡnər/; German: [ˈʁiçaʁt ˈvaːɡnɐ]; 22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is primarily known for his operas (or, as some of his later 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 Weber and 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, and which was announced in a series of essays 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. It was here that the Ring and Parsifal received their premieres and where his most important stage works continue to be performed in an annual festival run by his 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 in recent decades, especially where they express antisemitic sentiments. The effect of his ideas can be traced in many of the arts throughout the 20th century; their influence spread beyond composition into conducting, philosophy, literature, the visual arts and theatre.

This brings us to the last of the BBC Great Composers documentary series, next week I will have to come up with something to top this I suppose.  At any rate, spend some time with the BBC and learn a little about Herr Wagner as did I as I watched.  The companion piece I have selected for my tumblr is a classic 1948 performance by legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra in an all Wagner program selected by Toscanini himself.  

To wind up  this post, I must lead you to the splash fest that is Wet Wednesday posted down below.  For some reason tumblr would not let me publish my original selection for 'Hottie of the Day!' so I posted you a bonus shot of multiple hotties who are all 'Windjammers' and naked to boot.  Your original 'Hottie of the Day! is posted below the video and this hunk is definitely "Wet Dreamin'...".  You will see what I mean when you get there, after all I would not want you guys to miss out on this one!  Thanks for the visit, see you again on Friday!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!