“... in Flucht geschlagen,wähnt er zu jagen;hört nicht sein eigen Schmerzgekreisch,wenn er sich wühlt ins eig'ne Fleisch,wähnt Lust sich zu erzeigen!”
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Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor, best known for his operas, although his mature works are often referred to as music dramas. Unlike most composers, Wagner wrote both the libretti and the music for all of his stage works. He first achieved recognition with works in the Romantic tradition of Carl Maria von Weber and Giacomo Meyerbeer, but revol…
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culture · German composer (1813–1883) · composer · librettist · conductor · essayist · theatre director · autobiographer · poet · pianist · music critic · diarist · also Richard Wagner, Wagner
Born 22 May 1813 · Died 13 February 1883 · Q1511
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De-Richard Wagner
Wagner Tristan opening (orchestral)
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“... in Flucht geschlagen,wähnt er zu jagen;hört nicht sein eigen Schmerzgekreisch,wenn er sich wühlt ins eig'ne Fleisch,wähnt Lust sich zu erzeigen!”
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“A moment of weakness comes, for everyone, but then he feels stupid, and listens to his good sense.”
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“Die schwache Stunde kommt für jeden,da wird er dumm und lässt mit sich reden.”
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“My friend, in your youth, when you are in love for the first time, your breast swells high and wide, and it's easy to sing a beautiful song: the spring sings it for you. But when summer, then autumn, and winter come, and you have worries and responsibilities, family, children, and family quarrels, whoever can still succeed in singing a beautiful song then, you see: that person is called 'Master'!”
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“Mein Freund, in holder Jugendzeit,wenn uns von mächt'gen Triebenzum sel'gen ersten Liebendie Brust sich schwellet hoch und weit,ein schönes Lied zu singen,mocht' vielen da gelingen;der Lenz, der sang für sie.Kam Sommer, Herbst und Winterszeit,viel Not und Sorg' im Leben,manch' ehlich Glück daneben,Kindtauf', Geschäfte, Zwist und Streit:denen's dann noch will gelingen,ein schönes Lied zu singen,seht; Meister nennt man die!”
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“Please, leave your anger outside! You are dealing with honorable men. [Of course,] they make mistakes, and they enjoy having everyone follow their rules; [but] anyone who gets to judge and award prizes expects that people will try to please him! Your song made them uncomfortable, and rightly so....”
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“Drum bitt' ich, lasst den Groll jetzt ruh'n!Ihr habt's mit Ehrenmännern zu tun;die irren sich, und sind bequem,dass man auf ihre Weise sie nähm'.Wer Preise erkennt und Preise stellt,der will am End' auch, dass man ihm gefällt.Eu'r Lied, das hat ihnen bang' gemacht;und das mit Recht...”
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“Believe me, mankind's truest madness is revealed to him in dreams. All word-craft and poetry is nothing but true dream-interpretation.”
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“Glaubt mir, des Menschen wahrster Wahnwird ihm im Traume aufgetan:all' Dichtkunst und Poetereiist nichts als Wahrtraumdeuterei.”
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“... forced to flee, he imagines that he is hunting. He does not hear his own cry of pain when he claws into his own flesh; he thinks he is expressing pleasure!”
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“Hier hilft kein Kluger, das seh’ ich klar: hier hilft dem Dummen die Dummheit allein!”
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“No clever person can help here; I see that clearly. Here, only stupidity can help the stupid one!”
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“Gab mir die Mutter Muth,nicht mag ich ihr doch danken,daß deiner List sie erlag:frühalt, fahl und bleich,hass' ich die Frohen,freue mich nie!”
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“Although my mother gave me courage [and power], I do not thank her for yielding to your trickery; prematurely aged, colorless and pale, I hate happy people, and nothing gives me pleasure!”
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“Des Ritters Lied und Weise,sie fand ich neu, doch nicht verwirrt;verliess er unsre Gleise,schritt er doch fest und unbeirrt.Wollt ihr nach Regeln messen,was nicht nach eurer Regeln Lauf,der eignen Spur vergessen,sucht davon erst die Regeln auf!”
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“The knight's song and directionI found new, but not confused;He left our path,but strode strongly and confidently.When you want to evaluate, according to rules, something which doesn't follow your rules,You have to forget your own ways,And seek out its rules!”
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“Mein Kind, für den ist alles verloren,und Meister wird der in keinem Land;denn wer als Meister geboren,der hat unter Meistern den schlimmsten Stand.”
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“My child, all is lost for him, and he will never achieve the rank of 'Master' in any land, because someone who is born a master, always has the lowest standing among 'Masters'.”
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“If a student always follows the teacher's instructions, how can he accomplish something which the teacher cannot accomplish? Now go away and don't interfere, or I'll put you into the fire!”
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“I believe in God; and Mozart, and Beethoven as his only sons.”
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“Wohl kenn ich Weibes heil'ge Pflichten;sei drum gestrost, unsel'ger Mann!Lass über die das Schicksal richten,die seinem Spruche trotzen kann!In meines Herzens höchster Reinekenn ich der Treue Hochgebot.Wem ich sie weih, schenk ich die eine;die Treue bis zum Tod.”
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“I know well Woman's holy duty;Be comforted, unhappy man!Let Fate judge me; I defy its sentence!In my heart's highest purityI know faith's high demandTo him who sees it I giveLove until death!”
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“Der durch Verträge ich Herr, den Verträgen bin ich nun Knecht.”
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“I, who rule by means of contracts, am now slave to my contracts.”
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“Zum Ekel find' ich ewig nur mich in Allem was ich erwirke; das And're, das ich ersehne, das And're erseh' ich nie: denn selbst muß der Freie sich schaffen; Knechte erknet' ich mir nur.”
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“To my horror I always find only myself in all that I create; the Other, whom I need, I never find: a free man himself must create himself; I can only create slaves!”
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“Was der Meister nicht kann,vermöcht’ es der Knabe,hätt’ er ihm immer gehorchtJetzt mach’ dich fort, misch’ dich nicht drein:sonst fällst du mir mit in’s Feuer!”
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“Each stone is red with my blood and yours.”
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“s influence caused Wagner to assign a more commanding role to music in his later operas, including the latter half of the Ring cycle, which he had yet to compose. Aspects of Schopenhauerian doctrine found their way into Wagner”
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“When I look back across my entire life I find no event to place beside this in the impression it produced on me,”
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Africa Defense Forum: Wagner Fighters Run Massive Opioid Ring in the CAR
Public attention spiked: 5,825 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.4× the usual 1,691, with 0 article edits. Coverage that week: “Wagner Fighters Run Massive Opioid Ring in the CAR” (Africa Defense Forum).
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The New York Times: ‘Our Drug Is Wagner’: This Festival Draws the Composer’s Fiercest Fans
The Guardian: Tristan und Isolde review – Wagner in concert performance sees Pappano and the LSO at their finest
The Guardian: Der Ring des Nibelungen review – less is more in Regents Opera’s whittled-down Wagner
The Guardian: Groping, greed and the lust for great power: what Wagner’s Ring Cycle tells us about Trump v Harris
The Guardian: Götterdämmerung review – Jurowski’s six-year completion of Wagner’s Ring cycle was well worth the wait
At the Institute for Music Research at the University of Würzburg; this will result in at least eight volumes of text and several volumes of commentary, totalling over 5,000 pages
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“reason for being of music is poetry.”
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Released album “Scenes from Tristan und Isolde / Tannhäuser / Der Fliegende Holländer / Götterdämmerung”.
Released album “Die Walküre · Querschnitt = Highlights = Extraits = Brani Scelti”.
Released album “Mozart/Brahms: Clarinet Quintets / Wagner: Adagio”.
Released album “Overtures and Preludes”.
Released album “Borodin: Polovtsian Dances / Glinka: Russian and Ludmilla Overture / Hummel: Trumpet Concerto / Wagner: Overture to Tannhaüser”.
Released album “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg”.
Released album “Ouvertüren & Vorspiele”.
Released album “Overtures”.
Released album “Wagner – Ouvertüren”.
Released album “Die Walküre: Act I, Scene 3 / Ride of the Valkyries / Siegfried Idyll / Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod”.
Released album “Wagner Overtures”.
Released album “Preludes and Overtures”.
Released album “Preludes & Overtures: Die Meistersinger / Lohengrin / Tannhäuser / Tristan und Isolde”.
Released album “The Great Composers: Wagner - The Ring”.
Released album “Wagner”.
Released album “Siegfried Idyll / Overtures / Preludes”.
Released album “Fantasien für 8 Hörner”.
Released album “Das Rheingold”.
Released album “Klemperer Conducts Wagner Album II”.
Released album “Brass At Walhalla”.
Released album “Berühmte Ouvertüren”.
Released album “Parsifal”.
Released album “Wesendonk-Lieder / Tristan und Isolde: Vorspiel / Liebestod”.
Released album “Great Orchestral Highlights from "The Ring of the Niebelungs"”.
Released album “Tannhäuser”.
Released album “Wagner: Siegfried Idyll / Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht”.
Released album “Le Vaisseau Fantôme”.
Released album “Tristan und Isolde / Tannhäuser / Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg”.
Released album “The Ring of the Nibelung and others”.
Released album “Orchestermusik”.
Released album “Highlights from: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg / Lohengrin / Rienzi / Tannhäuser / Siegfried / Die Walküre”.
Released album “Highlights from "The Ring"”.
Released album “Overtures: Tannhäuser, Der fliegende Holländer, Die Feen”.
Released album “Polonia (Overture) / Rule Britannia (Overture) / American Centennial March (Grosser Festmarsch) / Imperial March (Kaisermarsch)”.
Released album “Sinfonía Num. 9 "Grande" / 2 escenas del Anillo”.
Released album “Richard Wagner”.
Released album “Lohengrin (Highlights)”.
Released album “Pages symphoniques”.
Released album “Tristan und Isolde”.
Released album “Die Walküre: Act 1”.
Released album “Wagner/ Grand Orchestre de Radio-Télé-Luxembourg”.
Released album “Les Grandes Ouvertures”.
Released album “Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries / Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act I / Götterdämmerung: Siegfried’s Funeral Music / Siegfried: Forest Murmurs”.
Released album “Symphonie Nr. 7 / Siegfried-Idyll”.
Released album “Les Grandes Pages symphoniques de la Tétralogie de Wagner”.
Released album “Highlights From Götterdämmerung”.
Released album “Tristan und Isolde (Stein, Nilsson, Vickers)”.
Under the aegis of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts and the Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur of Mainz, and is presently under the editorship of Egon Voss
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Ring des Nibelungen (Berliner Philharmoniker feat. director: Herbert von Karajan)”.
Released album “Tristan et Isolde”.
Released album “Tristan und Isolde (Bayreuth 1966)”.
Released album “Götterdämmerung”.
Released album “Birgit Nilsson sings German Opera”.
Released album “Lohengrin”.
Released album “Klemperer Conducts More Wagner”.
Released album “Siegfried”.
Released album “Prelude to Die Meistersinger / Overture to Tannhäuser / Good Friday Spell From Parsifal / Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin”.
Released album “Der fliegende Holländer”.
Released album “Der fliegende Holländer: Großer Opernquerschnitt”.
Released album “Rhapsodies: Liszt, Enescu, Wagner, Smetana”.
Released album “Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod / Tannhäuser: Overture and Venusberg Music / Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III”.
Released album “Reiner Conducts Wagner”.
Released album “Klemperer Conducts Wagner”.
Released album “Ouvertures”.
Released album “Tristan et Isolde (Extraits)”.
Released album “Munch Conducts Wagner”.
Released album “Prelude & Liebestod from "Tristan Und Isolde" / Dawn & Siegfried's Rhine Journey, Siegfried's Funeral Music from "Die Gotterdammerung"”.
Released album “Die Walküre”.
Released album “Die Meistersinger von Nurnburg”.
Released album “Die Walkure, Act 3”.
Released album “A Wagner Concert”.
Released album “Siegfried. Fantaisie”.
And featured in the title role the composer Giuseppe Becce, who also wrote the score for the film (as Wagner's music, still in copyright, was not available)
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But never met Wagner, was the author of The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century, approved by the Nazi movement
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Died 1883-02-13.
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To sell the rights of several of his unpublished works (including the Siegfried Idyll) to the publisher Schott
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Believing that Wagner's final phase represented a pandering to Christian pieties and a surrender to the new German Reich
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And the festival was scheduled for the following year
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With the project on the verge of collapse, the King relented and provided a loan
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Awarded Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art (1873).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wagner decided to move to Bayreuth, which was to be the location of his new opera house
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And 1870, but Wagner retained his dream, first expressed in "A Communication to My Friends", to present the first complete cycle at a special festival with a new, dedicated, opera house
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Extending the introduction and adding a lengthy final section
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And premiered in Munich on 21 June the following year
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When King Ludwig II succeeded to the throne of Bavaria at the age of 18
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The work was given its first performance in Munich, conducted by Bülow, in June 1865
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“Child! This Tristan is turning into something terrible. This final act!!!—I fear the opera will be banned ... only mediocre performances can save me! Perfectly good ones will be bound to drive people mad.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
When Minna intercepted a letter to Mathilde from him
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Placed a cottage on his estate at Wagner's disposal, which became known as the Asyl ("asylum" or "place of rest")
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With the Philharmonic Society of London, including one before Queen Victoria
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And Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), which was finished in 1856
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The autobiographical "A Communication to My Friends"
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Julie, the wife of his friend Karl Ritter, began to pay him a small pension which she maintained until 1859
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
When the unsuccessful May Uprising in Dresden broke out, in which Wagner played a minor supporting role
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Until he completed Götterdämmerung in 1874
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And he had resolved to develop it during a visit he had made to Venice with the Wesendoncks in 1860, where he was inspired by Titian's painting The Assumption of the Virgin
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As a sort of comic pendant to Tannhäuser
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“The Life's End of a German Musician in Paris”
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But closed before the second performance; this, together with the financial collapse of the theatre company employing him, left the composer in bankruptcy
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Wagner held a brief appointment as musical director at the opera house in Magdeburg during which he wrote Das Liebesverbot (The Ban on Love), based on Shakespeare's Measure for Measure
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Wagner's brother Albert managed to obtain for him a position as choirmaster at the Theatre Würzburg
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And the singspiel Männerlist größer als Frauenlist (Men are More Cunning than Women, 1837–1838)
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Wagner enrolled at the Leipzig University, where he became a member of the Saxon student fraternity
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Saw a performance by dramatic soprano Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, who became his ideal of the fusion of drama and music in opera
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The play was strongly influenced by Shakespeare and Goethe
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Richard was sent to the Kreuzschule, the boarding school of the Dresdner Kreuzchor, at the expense of Geyer's brother
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Born 1813-05-22.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
My friend, in your youth, when you are in love for the first time, your breast swells high and wide, and it's easy to sing a beautiful song: the spring sings it for you. But when summer, then autumn, and winter come, and you have worries and responsibilities, family, children, and family quarrels, whoever can still succeed in singing a beautiful song then, you see: that person is called 'Master'!
Mein Freund, in holder Jugendzeit,wenn uns von mächt'gen Triebenzum sel'gen ersten Liebendie Brust sich schwellet hoch und weit,ein schönes Lied zu singen,mocht' vielen da gelingen;der Lenz, der sang für sie.Kam Sommer, Herbst und Winterszeit,viel Not und Sorg' im Leben,manch' ehlich Glück daneben,Kindtauf', Geschäfte, Zwist und Streit:denen's dann noch will gelingen,ein schönes Lied zu singen,seht; Meister nennt man die!
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