Richard Wagner

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Biography

Born: May 22, 1813; Germany   Died: Feb 13, 1883; Italy   Period: Romantic
Richard Wagner was one of the most revolutionary figures in the history of music, a composer who made pivotal contributions to the development of harmony and musical drama that reverberate even today. Indeed, though Wagner occasionally produced successful music written on a relatively modest scale, opera -- the bigger, the better -- was clearly his milieu, and his aesthetic is perhaps the most grandiose that Western music has ever known. Early in Read more his career, Wagner learned both the elements and the practical, political realities of his craft by writing a handful of operas which were unenthusiastically, even angrily, received. Beginning with Rienzi (1838-40) and The Flying Dutchman (1841), however, he enjoyed a string of successes that propelled him to immortality and changed the face of music. His monumental Ring cycle of four operas -- Das Rheingold (1853-54), Die Walküre (1854-56), Siegfried (1856-71) and Götterdämmerung (1869-74) -- remains the most ambitious and influential contribution by any composer to the opera literature. Tristan and Isolde (1857-59) is perhaps the most representative example of Wagner's musical style, which is characterized by a high degree of chromaticism, a restless, searching tonal instability, lush harmonies, and the association of specific musical elements (known as leitmotifs, the flexible manipulation of which is one of the glories of Wagner's music) with certain characters and plot points. Wagner wrote text as well as music for all his operas, which he preferred to call "music dramas."
Wagner's life matched his music for sheer drama. Born in Leipzig on May 22, 1813, he began in the early 1830s to write prolifically on music and the arts in general; over his whole career, his music would to some degree serve to demonstrate his aesthetic theories. He often worked as a conductor in his early years; a conducting engagement took him to Riga, Latvia, in 1837, but he fled the country in the middle of the night two years later to elude creditors. Wagner as a young man had some sympathy with the revolutionary movements of the middle nineteenth century (and even the Ring cycle contains a distinct anti-materialist and vaguely socialist drift); in the Dresden uprisings of 1849 he apparently took up arms, and he had to leave Germany when the police restored order. Settling in Zurich, Switzerland, he wrote little for some years but evolved the intellectual framework for his towering mature masterpieces. Wagner returned to Germany in 1864 under the protection and patronage of King Ludwig II of Bavaria; it was in Bayreuth, near Munich, that he undertook the construction of an opera house (completed in 1876) built to his personal specifications and suited to the massive fusion of music, staging, text, and scene design that his later operas entailed. Bayreuth became something of a shrine for the fanatical Wagnerites who carried the torch after his death; it remains the goal of many a pilgrimage today. His attitude toward Jews was deeply ambivalent (he believed, mistakenly, that his stepfather was Jewish), but some of his writings contain anti-Semitic elements that have aroused considerable controversy among opera lovers, especially in view of Adolf Hitler's apparent predilection for the composer's music. Read less

Featured Richard Wagner CDs & DVDs:

Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti: The 3 Tenors Sing Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, Bizet, Wagner And More
Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti: The 3 Tenors Sing Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, Bizet, Wagner And More
Release Date: 09/11/2015   Label: Rca  
Catalog: 88697757882   Number of Discs: 1
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Wagner: Overtures, Preludes & Orchestral Excerpts / Janowski, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Wagner: Overtures, Preludes & Orchestral Excerpts / Janowski, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Release Date: 09/09/2016   Label: Pentatone  
Catalog: 5186551   Number of Discs: 2
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Richard Wagner - The Bayreuth Edition [8 Blu-rays]
Richard Wagner - The Bayreuth Edition [8 Blu-rays]
Release Date: 09/25/2015   Label: Opus Arte  
Catalog: 7184   Number of Discs: 8
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Wagner: Opera Scenes / Tennstedt, Norman, London Philharmonic
Wagner: Opera Scenes / Tennstedt, Norman, London Philharmonic
Release Date: 02/11/2014   Label: Warner Classics  
Catalog: 256463   Number of Discs: 1
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Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen / Solti, Vienna Philharmonic
Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen / Solti, Vienna Philharmonic
Release Date: 10/14/1997   Label: Decca  
Catalog: 455555   Number of Discs: 14
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Work: Tristan und Isolde: Liebestod

Browse 101-125 of 126 Available Recordings
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  • 101.
    Wagner: Wesendonk Lieder, Arias / Varady, Fischer-dieskau
    Wagner: Wesendonk Lieder, Arias / Varady, Fischer-dieskau
    Label: Orfeo   Catalog: 467981 Release Date: 09/16/2000   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  Julia Varády
    Conductor:  Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
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  • 102.
    Wagner Gala / Knappertsbusch, Flagstad, Nilsson, London
    Wagner Gala / Knappertsbusch, Flagstad, Nilsson, London
    Label: London/Decca Opera Gala Series   Catalog: 458238 Release Date: 08/08/2000   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  Birgit Nilsson,  George London,  Kirsten Flagstad,  Grace Hoffman
    Conductor:  Hans Knappertsbusch
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
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  • 103.
    Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde - Bayreuth 1928 / Graarud, Et Al
    Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde - Bayreuth 1928 / Graarud, Et Al
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 90383 Release Date: 02/22/2000   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  Nanny Larsen-Todsen,  Anny Helm,  Gustav Rödin,  Rudolf Bockelmann  ... 
    Conductor:  Karl Elmendorff
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Bayreuth Festival Orchestra,  Bayreuth Festival Chorus
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  • 104.
    The Best Opera Album In The World...ever!
    The Best Opera Album In The World...ever!
    Label: Erato   Catalog: 42203 Release Date: 07/27/1999   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giacomo Puccini,  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Ruggero Leoncavallo,  Jules Massenet  ... 
    Performer:  José Carreras,  Maria Callas,  Montserrat Caballé,  Roberto Alagna  ... 
    Conductor:  Alain Lombard,  Georges Prêtre,  Riccardo Muti,  Sir Charles Mackerras  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Rhine Opera Chorus,  Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra,  ORTF National Orchestra  ... 
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  • 105.
    Helen Traubel and Lauritz Melchior Sing Wagner
    Helen Traubel and Lauritz Melchior Sing Wagner
    Label: Sony Classical Masterworks   Catalog: 60896 Release Date: 06/29/1999   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  Helen Traubel,  Lauritz Melchior,  Herbert Janssen,  Torsten Ralf  ... 
    Conductor:  Artur Rodzinski,  Robert Kinsky,  Erich Leinsdorf,  Fritz Busch  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  New York Philharmonic,  Buenos Aires Teatro Colón Orchestra,  Columbia Opera Orchestra  ... 
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  • 106.
    Kirsten Flagstad - The Voice Of The Century - Songs & Arias
    Kirsten Flagstad - The Voice Of The Century - Songs & Arias
    Label: Simax   Catalog: 1820 Release Date: 03/11/1999   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Traditional,  Johannes Brahms,  Richard Strauss,  Henry Purcell  ... 
    Performer:  Kirsten Flagstad,  Sigvart Fotland,  Waldemar Alme,  Edwin McArthur  ... 
    Conductor:  Georges Sebastian,  Geraint Jones,  Fritz Reiner,  Wilhelm Furtwängler  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra,  Mermaid Orchestra,  San Francisco Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 107.
    The Harold Wayne Collection Vol 32 - Walker, Wildbrunn
    The Harold Wayne Collection Vol 32 - Walker, Wildbrunn
    Label: Symposium   Catalog: 1229 Release Date: 12/15/1998   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Carl Maria von Weber,  James L. Molloy,  Richard Wagner,  Giacomo Puccini  ... 
    Performer:  Helene Wildbrunn,  Edyth Walker
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Orchestra
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  • 108.
    The Ultimate Divas Album
    The Ultimate Divas Album
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 460596 Release Date: 09/15/1998   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gioachino Rossini,  Richard Wagner,  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Georges Bizet  ... 
    Performer:  Marilyn Horne,  Cecilia Bartoli,  Birgit Nilsson,  Kirsten Flagstad  ... 
    Conductor:  Henry Lewis,  Riccardo Chailly,  Hans Knappertsbusch,  Sir Georg Solti  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra,  Bologna Teatro Comunale Chorus,  Bologna Teatro Comunale Orchestra  ... 
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  • 109.
    Von Der Königlichen Hofoper Zur Staatsoper Unter Den Linden
    Von Der Königlichen Hofoper Zur Staatsoper Unter Den Linden
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 89403 Release Date: 07/21/1998   Number of Discs: 4
    Composer:  Carl Maria von Weber,  Ruggero Leoncavallo,  Richard Wagner,  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  ... 
    Performer:  Tiana Lemnitz,  Josef Mann,  Ludwig Suthaus,  Paula Buchner  ... 
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  • 110.
    Richard Wagner On Record
    Richard Wagner On Record
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 89404 Release Date: 07/04/1998   Number of Discs: 4
    Composer:  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  Berta Morena,  Nicola Geisse-Winkel,  Gertrud Bindernagel,  Karl Armster  ... 
    Conductor:  Selmar Meyrowitz,  Johannes Schüler,  Walter Lutze,  Manfred Gurlitt  ... 
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  • 111.
    Operatic Arias (1911-1962)
    Operatic Arias (1911-1962)
    Label: Nimbus   Catalog: 7851 Release Date: 05/19/1998   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Karl Millöcker,  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,  Francesco Cilèa,  Amilcare Ponchielli  ... 
    Performer:  Jussi Björling,  Fritz Wunderlich,  Tito Gobbi,  Kirsten Flagstad  ... 
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  • 112.
    Callas Edition - Live In Concert
    Callas Edition - Live In Concert
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 72030 Release Date: 01/20/1998   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Gioachino Rossini,  Gaetano Donizetti,  Vincenzo Bellini,  Giuseppe Verdi  ... 
    Performer:  Maria Callas
    Conductor:  Alfredo Simonetto,  Oliviero de Fabritiis,  Nicola Rescigno,  Antonino Votto  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra Milan,  Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra Rome,  Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra  ... 
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  • 113.
    Lebendige Vergangenheit - Kirsten Flagstad
    Lebendige Vergangenheit - Kirsten Flagstad
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 89141 Release Date: 05/20/1997   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Carl Maria von Weber,  Richard Wagner,  Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer:  Kirsten Flagstad
    Conductor:  Eugene Ormandy,  Hans Lange
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philadelphia Orchestra,  Orchestra
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  • 114.
    Lebendige Vergangenheit - Helen Traubel
    Lebendige Vergangenheit - Helen Traubel
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 89120 Release Date: 10/15/1996   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Christoph W. Gluck,  Richard Wagner,  Richard Strauss
    Performer:  Helen Traubel,  Kurt Baum
    Conductor:  Charles O'Connell,  Artur Rodzinski,  Ernst Knoch,  Leopold Stokowski
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra,  New York Philharmonic,  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra  ... 
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  • 115.
    The Art Of Meta Seinemeyer
    The Art Of Meta Seinemeyer
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 89402 Release Date: 10/15/1996   Number of Discs: 4
    Composer:  Engelbert Humperdinck,  Carl Maria von Weber,  Richard Wagner,  Anton Rubinstein  ... 
    Performer:  Meta Seinemeyer,  Helena Jung,  Curt Taucher,  Jaro Dworsky  ... 
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  • 116.
    Lebendige Vergangenheit - Helene Wildbrunn
    Lebendige Vergangenheit - Helene Wildbrunn
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 89097 Release Date: 03/21/1995   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Carl Maria von Weber,  Giuseppe Verdi,  Christoph W. Gluck,  Giacomo Puccini  ... 
    Performer:  Helene Wildbrunn
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  • 117.
    Wagner: Tristan und Isolde Highlights / Modl, Windgassen
    Wagner: Tristan und Isolde Highlights / Modl, Windgassen
    Label: Teldec Historic Series   Catalog: 95516 Release Date: 03/07/1995   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  Martha Mödl,  Johanna Blatter,  Wolfgang Windgassen
    Conductor:  Arthur Rother
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Berlin City Opera Orchestra
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  • 118.
    Unvergessene Stimmen Der Wiener Staatsoper
    Unvergessene Stimmen Der Wiener Staatsoper
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 89401 Release Date: 02/07/1995   Number of Discs: 4
    Composer:  Carl Maria von Weber,  Richard Strauss,  Richard Wagner,  Giuseppe Verdi  ... 
    Performer:  Hilde Konetzni,  Elisabeth Höngen,  Esther Réthy,  Set Svanholm  ... 
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  • 119.
    Kirsten Flagstad Vol 1 - The Early Recordings 1914-1941
    Kirsten Flagstad Vol 1 - The Early Recordings 1914-1941
    Label: Simax   Catalog: 1821 Release Date: 01/01/1995   Number of Discs: 3
    Composer:  Edvard Grieg,  Eyvind Alnaes,  Sigurd Lie,  Christian Sinding  ... 
    Performer:  Kirsten Flagstad,  Eyvind Alnaes
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Orchestra
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  • 120.
    Kirsten Flagstad, Vol. 2: Live Performances 1935-1948
    Kirsten Flagstad, Vol. 2: Live Performances 1935-1948
    Label: Simax   Catalog: 1822 Release Date: 01/01/1995   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Richard Wagner,  Gioachino Rossini,  Carl Maria von Weber,  Traditional  ... 
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  • 121.
    Lebendige Vergangenheit - Frieda Leider
    Lebendige Vergangenheit - Frieda Leider
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 89004 Release Date: 10/14/1994   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Richard Wagner,  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Christoph W. Gluck
    Performer:  Frida Leider,  Lauritz Melchior,  Rudolf Laubenthal
    Conductor:  Sir John Barbirolli,  Albert Coates,  Leo Blech
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Symphony Orchestra,  Berlin State Opera Orchestra
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  • 122.
    The Art Of Frieda Leider
    The Art Of Frieda Leider
    Label: Preiser Records   Catalog: 89301 Release Date: 04/20/1994   Number of Discs: 3
    Composer:  Carl Maria von Weber,  Richard Strauss,  Giacomo Puccini,  Giuseppe Verdi  ... 
    Performer:  Frida Leider,  Carl Günther,  Martin Abendroth,  Heinrich Schlusnus  ... 
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  • 123.
    Opera's Greatest Love Songs - Pavarotti, Domingo, Et Al
    Opera's Greatest Love Songs - Pavarotti, Domingo, Et Al
    Label: Rca Victor Red Seal   Catalog: 61886 Release Date: 10/26/1993   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Georges Bizet,  Richard Wagner,  Charles Gounod  ... 
    Performer:  Julia Varády,  Franco Corelli,  Leontyne Price,  Placido Domingo  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Colin Davis,  Herbert von Karajan,  Henry Lewis,  Nello Santi  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra,  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,  Philharmonia Orchestra  ... 
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  • 124.
    Prima Voce - Divas Vol 2 (1909-1940)
    Prima Voce - Divas Vol 2 (1909-1940)
    Label: Nimbus   Catalog: 7818 Release Date: 12/02/1992   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Pietro Mascagni,  Richard Wagner,  Manuel Ponce,  Jacques Offenbach  ... 
    Performer:  Mafalda Favero,  Kirsten Flagstad,  Nina Koshetz,  Maggie Teyte  ... 
    Conductor:  Antonio Sabino,  Hans Lange,  Eugene Ormandy,  Sir John Barbirolli  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philadelphia Orchestra,  London Symphony Orchestra,  Paris Opéra Comique Orchestra
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  • 125.
    Prima Voce - Kirsten Flagstad
    Prima Voce - Kirsten Flagstad
    Label: Nimbus   Catalog: 7847 Release Date: 12/02/1992   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Carl Maria von Weber,  Richard Wagner,  Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer:  Kirsten Flagstad
    Conductor:  Eugene Ormandy,  Edwin McArthur,  Hans Lange
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philadelphia Orchestra,  San Francisco Opera Orchestra,  Orchestra
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