Richard Wagner

Der Komponist wurde am 22. Mai 1813 in Leipzig als neuntes Kind des Polizeiaktuars Carl Friedrich Wagner (1770-1813) und der Bäckerstochter Johanna Rosine Wagner (1774-1848) geboren. Sechs Monate nach seiner Geburt, am 23. November 1813 starb der Vater an Typhus. Im August 1814 heiratete Wagners Mutter den Schauspieler und Dichter Ludwig Geyer, der sich der Familie nach dem Tod des Vaters angenommen hatte. Spekulationen, wonach Geyer der leibliche Vater Richard Wagners gewesen sei, sind weder bewiesen noch klar widerlegt. Noch 1814 übersiedelte die Familie nach Dresden.

Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig – February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or "music dramas" as he later came to call them). His compositions, particularly those of his later period, are notable for their contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate use of leitmotifs: themes associated with specific characters or situations. Wagner's chromatic musical language prefigured later developments in European classical music, including extreme chromaticism and atonality. He transformed musical thought through his idea of Gesamtkunstwerk ("total art-work"), epitomized by his monumental four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (1876). His concept of leitmotif and integrated musical expression was also a strong influence on many 20th century film scores. Wagner was and remains a controversial figure, both for his musical and dramatic innovations, and for his anti-semitic and political opinions.