Richard Wagner

1. Richard Wagner Jenny Grandjean Music 1010

2. Introduction BIOGRAPHY ~Life of Richard Wagner Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig, Germany on May 23, 1813 and lived until February 13, 1883 when he died in Venice. He was son to Karl and Johanna Wagner. Wagner participated in an uprising in 1849 fled to Weimar then Switzerland where he wrote many important essays on music, art, and drama.

3. BIOGRAPHYLife of Richard Wagner Wagner designed a new brass instrument dubbed the Wagner tuba which was adopted later by reputable composers. Wagner also designed a theatre for his works which hosted the first Bayreuth Festival was held. The four operas of his Der Ring des Nibelungen were comprehensively performed, they are also considered some of his best work. They were considered master works and were ahead of their time. Wagner's music is generally known for rich harmonies, complex and intricate style and orchestration, and the creative use of leitmotifs: ideas or themes that associate individual characters, places or plot elements embedded in the music.

4. Composition History • Wagner started off with simple compositions before later turning to stage music in 1832. He also wrote several operas during the 1930’s and in 1842 he performed rhis opera Rienzi. • Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde has often been mentioned in discussions that it marked the start of what we consider modern music today. Wagner is also the writer of The Flying Dutchman and Tannhäuser which were composed in the traditions of the romantic pieces Weber and Meyerbeer. He also integrated some traditional operatic forms to some of his performances such as Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

5. Composition History • Some of his most notable works are extracts from the Ride of the Valkyries which came from the opera Die Walküre, and the Wedding March (Bridal Chorus) which came from the opera Lohengrin.

6. Listening Guide ~ Ride of the Valkyries • Analysis of music no.1: Composition history of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries • The Ride of the Valkyries was Richard Wagner’s second opera and it was started on 23 July 1851.

7. Listening Guide ~ Ride of the Valkyries • Instrumentation:Full Orchestra, prominent low brass, upper woodwinds, first violins. • Rhythm:Lots of dotted-eighth sixteenth note rhythms. Many underlying trills. Sometimes moving sixteenth notes. All through the music the rhythm alternates in intervals with some instruments being stressed and others coming in as accompaniments, all in changing levels of loudness and pace.

8. Listening Guide ~ Ride of the Valkyries • Melody:Mostly in low brass, sometimes augmented by upper brass, very triumphant and marcato. The music creates a solemn mood which is stressed at some points by the accompaniments that join as well using increasing levels of loudness. • Harmony:The music has the harmonic characteristic of switching off major to minor throughout the piece to suit the melodic composition of the music to enhance the mood.

9. Listening Guide ~ Ride of the Valkyries • Texture:Strong low brass gives it the music heavy feel. The overlaying trills and runs in the upper woodwinds and strings make it feel very thick, especially at some points when full orchestra is applied with appropriate pitches and paces • Form:Introduction, A, A, B, A, bridge, A, a more thickly orchestrated A, coda.

10.   References and Bibliography REFERENCE • Grove, G., & Sadie, S. (1980). The New Grove dictionary of music and musicians. London: Macmillan Publishers.