Wagner biography summary. Richard Wagner: biography, interesting facts, creativity

Name: Richard Wagner

Age: 69 years old

Place of Birth: Leipzig, Germany

A place of death: Venice, Italy

Activity: composer, conductor

Family status: was married

Richard Wagner - biography

Wilhelm Richard Wagner is not a simple composer, he is an art theorist, one who influenced the whole European culture music and reformed opera.

Childhood, Wagner family

Richard's father was an official, but it turned out that the boy was raised by his stepfather, actor Ludwig Geyer. Nine children were born into the Wagner family, but two children died, and when he was born future composer, his father died. The head of the family was a fan of the Melpomene temple, and in his honor, four of the children connected their lives with the theater.

In the biography of Richard's childhood, a lot of space and time was devoted to music, which the child began to learn very early. There was an explanation for this: everyone in the family was musically trained. Richard's passion for drawing puzzled his parents. He portrayed fairy-tale creatures with incredible imagination.

But one day the boy watched Weber's opera about a hunter, and from that moment he truly fell in love with music. This piece of music fully corresponded to his childhood fantasies: the scene was replete with evil spirits and ghosts. The music enchanted and bewitched. He wanted to create the same enchanting sounds himself. Therefore, I took up studying the theory on my own, simultaneously imitating the great Beethoven. Elementary education Richard received his education at the Leipzig school. From the age of 18, he began to combine all musical sounds into symphonies and sonatas. The young man could not sit still; he left his hometown. For a long time he worked as a choirmaster and conductor in theaters in various cities from Magdeburg to Paris.

Immortal creativity of the composer

Wagner composed brilliant overtures and operas. The Royal Saxon court became a refuge for the composer for some time, where he worked as a bandmaster. Often Wagner's music reflected the feelings and emotions that filled the composer's world. More than any other composer, he called for turning to one’s nature, to the strong connection that exists between man and all of nature as a whole.

Wagner's ideas

Art is created by man and for man - the idea of ​​​​Wagner's entire work. The Opera Theater now began to be perceived as the highest form of reproduction of works of art, as a temple. And what happened on the stage in the temple of art bore a new name: musical drama. It embodied the combination of words and music. This became the meaning of the composer’s entire life. “The Flying Dutchman”, “Tannhäuser” and “Lohengrin”, “Tristan and Isolde”, “The Ring of the Nibelung” and “Parsifal” are a number of masterpieces created by the German maestro.

Orchestra at the opera

The composer’s entire biography is a life in music, in opera and in its improvement. Wagner brought the art of opera closer to life, denying excessive pomp and falsehood in classical opera. In addition, he paid special attention not to the vocal performance of the parts, but to the music, which was intended to reveal the feelings and experiences of the heroes of the work. The orchestra in his operas played a separate role; it gave a musical characterization to each hero, living creature, and symbolic object. The viewer does not have the opportunity to relax, he is constantly tense, since the musical denouement will only be at the end of the work.

Philosophy in Wagner's music

The fascination with the ideas of the philosopher Schopenhauer can be traced in the works of Wagner. The composer believes that the universe is imperfect, meaningless and dysfunctional. Music should help you find true pleasure. If humanity continues to chase power and gold, then very soon it may come global catastrophe. Richard makes only two themes the most basic in his work: love and death. He links them inextricably in his operas. The system of leitmotifs was inherited not only by Wagner’s followers, but also by his contemporaries.

Even those who tried to criticize the musician’s work introduced Wagner’s theories into their orchestral sketches. Even N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov could not avoid the influence of the German composer. A.N. Scriabin also succumbed to this modernized writing. All composers who imitated Wagner sought, like him, to expand the boundaries of expressiveness in music, including harmony, opera and orchestral writing.

Some great Russian musicians took the opposite position in relation to the music of the great reformer. These included M.P. Mussorgsky and A.P. Borodin. Wagner, in turn, was so individual that he did not want to take into account the work of some composers who had Jewish roots ().

Richard Wagner - biography of personal life

In Magdeburg, Richard met the actress Minna Planer. Work in the theater did not go well for Wagner, the prima went to Berlin. This departure of his beloved woman forced the composer to confess his love and propose marriage. The marriage was hasty and unhappy. There was not enough money, the beloved was not an exalted person and did not live with dreams. She was four years older than her husband, had a very practical approach to life and did not understand her husband. The theater was closed, the composer lived in Riga for two years, taught French, dreamed of conquering France.

Having sold everything he could, somehow collecting money for food, the composer hoped that success and fame would come soon. Minna fell ill, Wagner went to prison for debt - this is how Paris greeted him. Success found the musician in Germany, where he received a position as director of a theater in Dresden. After revolutionary unrest the composer fled with his family to Switzerland. Minna saved, but it was difficult to do this with Wagner; the woman’s heart ached. Richard began to lead a wild life and fell in love with a married Englishwoman, Jessie Lossot. The composer became friends with Liszt, youngest daughter which will become last love Wagner.

But this is a little later, while Richard was inflamed with feelings for Matilda Wesendonck, a married beauty and an exalted nature. This woman was always among the very first listeners of the musician’s works. But marital duty remained a true duty for Matilda; she did not leave her husband for Wagner. And Wesendonck forever remained a financial assistant and friend for the composer.

German composer Richard Wagner is a controversial personality. On the one hand, his political views contradict the principles of humanism (and this is putting it mildly). His work (not only music, but also philosophical articles) was inspired by the ideologists of Nazi Germany, who turned Wagner into a symbol of the nation. On the other hand, the composer’s contribution to the development of music is enormous.

He changed the principles of operatic art, introducing end-to-end dramatic action and an endless melody. His legacy inspires modern composers and lives on in rock music, heavy metal and literature.

Childhood and youth

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was born on May 22, 1813 in Leipzig, a city that at that time belonged to the Rhineland. Mother Johanna Rosina gave birth to nine children. Father Karl Friedrich Wagner, a police clerk, died of typhus on November 23, 1813. From this moment on, disputes between the composer’s biographers begin: some of them believe that Richard’s father was his stepfather, Ludwig Geyer.

The widow with many children married actor Geyer three months after the death of her husband. Be that as it may, this talented man influenced his stepson’s career choice. The second most important role in the fate of his brother was played by his older sister, Johanna Rosalia. The popular actress supported Richard in his intention to become a musician.

Until the age of 13, Richard studied at St. Thomas School, the oldest liberal arts school in the city. At the age of 15, the young man realized that his knowledge was not enough to write music (and the urge had already arisen), and in 1828 he began to study music theory with Theodor Weinlig, cantor of the Church of St. Thomas. In 1831 he continued his studies at the University of Leipzig.

Music

Like many celebrities, Wagner is often credited with other people's works. For example, “Requiem for a Dream” is mentioned online in conjunction with his name. In fact, the soundtrack to the film of the same name was composed by Clint Mansell in 2000. Although it is possible that Mansell was inspired by Wagner’s composition “The Path to Valhalla” from the opera “Twilight of the Gods”

The ominous “Tango of Death” is also associated with the name of the classic. According to legend, Wagner's music was played during the mass extermination of Jews in Nazi camps. In fact, it is not known for certain what the camp orchestras played. But it is unlikely that these were his compositions. Wagner created on a grand scale and a large symphony orchestra is needed to perform his works.

In the 19th century, Wagner's music was so revolutionary that the Bayreuth Opera House was built according to the composer's design for the production of The Ring of the Nibelung. The acoustic effects of the concert hall were carefully thought out. For example, orchestra pit was covered with a visor so that the music would not drown out the voices of the singers.

Wagner wrote 13 operas, 8 of which became classics, as well as several smaller musical works, including librettos for operas, as well as 16 volumes of articles, letters and memoirs. Wagner's operas are distinguished by their length, pathos and epic quality.

The operas “Fairies”, “The Ban of Love”, “Rienzi” belong to the early period of the composer’s work. The first mature work was The Flying Dutchman, an epic story about a ghost ship. Tannhäuser tells the sad love story of a minstrel and a pagan goddess. "Lohengrin" is an opera about a swan knight and a foolish girl. Here the genius already declares himself loudly.

"Tristan and Isolde" is the record holder for the duration of individual numbers. The love duet of the heroes in the second act lasts 40 minutes, the monologue of the wounded Tristan in the third act lasts 45 minutes. To perform Wagnerian compositions, opera singers had to be retrained. This is how a new opera school was born.

Wagner composed the story of the Ring of Power a hundred years before J.R.R. Tolkien. Das Rheingold opens the Ring of the Nibelung series. The second opera of the cycle, “Die Walküre,” contains Wagner’s “calling card” - the “Ride of the Valkyries” scene. “Siegfried” is the most positive opera in the cycle: the hero kills the dragon and finds love.

Everything ends with “The Death of the Gods,” which consists of leitmotifs from previous operas in the cycle, including the famous “Funeral March for the Death of Siegfried,” which was later performed at the composer’s funeral.

Personal life

Despite the fact that Richard was short (166 cm) and ugly, poor for most of his life, and did not have titles or titles, he always attracted women. Many love affairs with artists and fans remained unknown to anyone, but three women are forever inscribed in the biography of the genius.

Minna Planer, first wife. The twenty-year-old conductor's behind-the-scenes infatuation with a beautiful artist culminated in marriage in November 1836. The young wife was four years older than her husband, more experienced in everyday affairs and more pragmatic. The family moved from Konigsberg to Riga, and from there to St. Petersburg, Mitava and Paris. In her new place, Minna was able to quickly create a cozy nest and provide her husband with a reliable base for creativity.

Over the years, this became more difficult for her. After the collapse of the revolution in 1849, the Wagners fled to Weimar, and from there to Switzerland. In Zurich, Richard met a new muse: Mathilde Wesendonck. The twenty-year-old beauty and her husband Otto were ardent admirers of the composer's work. The wealthy businessman Wesendonk organized Wagner's concerts and gave him a “quiet refuge” - a house next to his own villa.

In this "refuge" "Siegfried" and "Tristan" are written. Matilda was the object of this passionate love song and appreciated it. The composer's muse also composed music and wrote poetry and prose. Descendants were left with letters from Wagner to Matilda, published after her death. It is not known for certain whether Richard and his patroness were lovers, but most biographers think so.

Wagner's love for Cosima von Bülow overtook him in 1864, during a period of sudden prosperity. The young King of Bavaria, Ludwig II, in love with Wagner’s work (and, according to some historians, with Richard himself), invited him to court, in brilliant Munich. And he not only paid off creditors, but also generously opened the treasury to finance Wagner’s projects.

Wagner invites conductor Hans von Bulow, a happily married father of two children, to join the orchestra. His wife Cosima, the illegitimate daughter of Franz Liszt, an old friend of Wagner, becomes the composer's personal secretary. And, of course, a muse and lover. The passion that flared up between Richard and Cosima does not remain a secret for long for the deceived husband.

But instead of Hans, the king staged a scene of jealousy for the court bandmaster, and the matter smelled of scandal. The situation was aggravated by the fact that colossal funds from the state treasury were spent on Wagner, and Catholic morality dominated in Bavaria. The adulterers were banished to Switzerland in disgrace.

Divorce in those days was such a difficult matter that the von Bülow couple were able to obtain it only seven years later. Over the years, Cosima gave birth to daughters Isolde and Eva and a son, Siegfried, from Richard (the birth of the boy coincided with the completion of the opera of the same name). Mina Wagner died of heart disease, and Ludwig suddenly changed his anger to mercy and asked Wagner to return to court.

In 1870, Cosima and Richard got married. From this moment on, the life of the muse consists of serving the idol. The couple are building a theater together in Bayreuth and working on the first production of The Ring of the Nibelung. The premiere took place in 1876 from August 13 to 17, forever changing the Europeans' understanding of the art of opera.

Death

In 1882, at the insistence of doctors, Wagner moved to Venice, where he died in 1883 from a heart attack. Ex with husband before last breath Cosima takes care of transporting the body to Bayreuth and the funeral. She organized and headed the annual festival in Bayreuth, dedicating it to the memory of her husband.

In addition to the annual Wagner Festival, which has become a cult event in the world of music, there remains one more interesting monument to the genius. This is Neuschwanstein - a fairytale castle in the mountains of Bavaria, the “Swan Castle”, built by Ludwig II of Bavaria in memory of his brilliant friend. The interior of the premises reflects the king's admiration for Wagner's operas.

Works

• 1834 – “Fairies”
• 1836 – “The Ban of Love”
• 1840 – “Rienzi, the last of the tribunes”
• 1840 – “Faust” (overture)
• 1841 – “The Flying Dutchman”
• 1845 – “Tannhäuser”
• 1848 – “Lohengrin”
• 1854-1874 - “The Ring of the Nibelung”
• 1859 – “Tristan and Isolde”
• 1868 – “Nurembern Meistensingers”
• 1882 – “Parsifal”

R. Wagner - the largest German composer XIX century, who had a significant influence on the development of not only the music of the European tradition, but also the world artistic culture generally. Wagner did not receive systematic music education and in his development as a master of music owes a decisive degree to himself. The composer's interests, entirely focused on the opera genre, emerged relatively early. From his early work, the romantic opera The Fairies (1834) to the musical mystery drama Parsifal (1882), Wagner remained a staunch adherent of serious musical theater, which through his efforts was transformed and updated.

At first, Wagner did not think of reforming opera - he followed established traditions musical performance, sought to master the conquests of his predecessors. If in “Fairies” the German romantic opera, so brilliantly represented by “The Magic Shooter” by K. M. Weber, became a role model, then in the opera “The Ban of Love” (1836) he was more oriented towards the traditions of French comic opera. However, these early works did not bring him recognition - in those years Wagner led the hard life of a theater musician, wandering around different cities of Europe. For some time he worked in Russia, in the German theater of the city of Riga (1837-39). But Wagner... like many of his contemporaries, was attracted by the cultural capital of the then Europe, which was then universally recognized as Paris. The bright hopes of the young composer faded when he came face to face with the unsightly reality and was forced to lead the life of a poor foreign musician doing odd jobs. A change for the better came in 1842, when he was invited to the position of conductor at the famous opera house in the capital of Saxony, Dresden. Wagner finally had the opportunity to introduce his works to theater audiences, and his third opera, Rienzi (1840), won lasting recognition. And this is not surprising, since the model of the work was the French grand opera, the most prominent representatives of which were the recognized masters G. Spontini and G. Meyerbeer. In addition, the composer had performing forces of the highest rank - vocalists such as tenor J. Tihaček and the great singer-actress V. Schröder-Devrient, who became famous in her time in the role of Leonora in L. Beethoven’s only opera “Fidelio,” performed in his theater.

The 3 operas adjacent to the Dresden period have a lot in common. Thus, in “The Flying Dutchman” (1841), completed on the eve of the move to Dresden, the ancient legend about a wandering sailor cursed for previous atrocities comes to life, whom only a devoted and pure love. In the opera “Tannhäuser” (1845), the composer turned to the medieval legend about the minnesinger singer, who gained the favor of the pagan goddess Venus, but earned the curse of the Roman church for this. And finally, in “Lohengrin" (1848) - perhaps the most popular of Wagner's operas - a bright knight appears, descending to earth from the heavenly abode - the Holy Grail, in the name of fighting evil, slander and injustice.

In these operas, the composer is still closely associated with the traditions of romanticism - his heroes are torn apart by conflicting impulses, when purity and purity are opposed to the sinfulness of earthly passions, boundless trust is opposed to deceit and betrayal. Romanticism is also associated with the slowness of the narrative, when it is not so much the events themselves that are important, but the feelings that they awaken in the soul of the lyrical hero. This is where the important role of extended monologues and dialogues comes from. characters, revealing the internal struggle of their aspirations and motivations, a kind of “dialectic of the soul” of an extraordinary human personality.

But even during the years of work in the court service, Wagner had new plans. The impetus for their implementation was the revolution that broke out in a number of European countries in 1848 and did not escape Saxony. It was in Dresden that an armed uprising broke out against the reactionary monarchist regime, led by Wagner's friend, the Russian anarchist M. Bakunin. With his characteristic passion, Wagner took an active part in this uprising and after its defeat was forced to flee to Switzerland. A difficult period began in the composer’s life, but very fruitful for his work.

Wagner rethought and comprehended his artistic positions; moreover, he formulated the main tasks that, in his opinion, faced art in a number of theoretical works (among them the treatise “Opera and Drama” - 1851) is especially important. He embodied his ideas in the monumental tetralogy “The Ring of the Nibelung” - the main work of his entire life.

The basis of the grandiose creation, which fully occupies 4 theatrical evenings in a row, was made up of tales and legends dating back to pagan antiquity - the German “Song of the Nibelungs”, the Scandinavian sagas included in the Elder and Younger Edda. But pagan mythology with its gods and heroes became for the composer a means of knowledge and artistic analysis problems and contradictions of contemporary bourgeois reality.

The content of the tetralogy, which includes the musical dramas “Das Rheingold” (1854), “Walkyrie” (1856), “Siegfried” (1871) and “Death of the Gods” (1874), is very multifaceted - the operas feature numerous characters who enter into conflict with each other complex relationships, sometimes even into cruel, irreconcilable struggle. Among them is the evil Nibelung dwarf Alberich, who steals a golden treasure from the daughters of the Rhine; The owner of the treasure, who managed to forge a ring from it, is promised power over the world. Alberich is opposed by the light god Wotan, whose omnipotence is illusory - he is a slave to the agreements he himself has concluded, on which his dominion is based. Having taken the golden ring from the Nibelung, he brings upon himself and his family a terrible curse, from which only a mortal hero who owes him nothing can save him. His own grandson, the simple-minded and fearless Siegfried, becomes such a hero. He defeats the monstrous dragon Fafner, takes possession of the treasured ring, awakens the sleeping warrior maiden Brunhilda, surrounded by a sea of ​​fire, but dies, struck down by meanness and deceit. Along with him, the old world, where deception, self-interest and injustice reigned, also perishes.

Wagner's grandiose plan required completely new, previously unheard of means of implementation, a new operatic reform. The composer almost completely abandoned the hitherto familiar number structure - complete arias, choruses, ensembles. Instead, they were replaced by lengthy monologues and dialogues of the characters, unfolded into an endless melody. Broad melodiousness merged with declamation in vocal parts of a new type, in which a melodious cantilena and catchy speech characteristics were incomprehensibly combined.

The main feature of Wagner's operatic reform is associated with the special role of the orchestra. He is not limited to just supporting the vocal melody, but leads his own line, sometimes even coming to the fore. Moreover, the orchestra becomes the bearer of the meaning of the action - it is in it that the main musical themes are most often heard - leitmotifs, which become symbols of characters, situations, and even abstract ideas. The leitmotifs smoothly transform into each other, are combined in simultaneous sound, are constantly modified, but each time they are recognized by the listener, who has firmly grasped the semantic meaning assigned to us. On a larger scale, Wagnerian musical dramas are divided into extended, relatively complete scenes, where broad waves of emotional ups and downs, tension build-ups and releases occur.

Wagner began to implement his great plan during the years of Swiss emigration. But the complete impossibility of seeing on stage the fruits of his titanic work, truly unparalleled in power and tirelessness, broke even such a great worker - the writing of the tetralogy was interrupted for long years. And only an unexpected turn of fate - the support of the young Bavarian king Ludwig, inspired new strength in the composer and helped him complete, perhaps, the most monumental creation of the art of music, which was the result of the efforts of one person. To stage the tetralogy, it was built in the Bavarian city of Bayreuth, where the entire tetralogy was first performed in 1876 exactly as Wagner intended it.

In addition to The Ring of the Nibelung, Wagner created in the second half of the 19th century. 3 more capital works. This is the opera “Tristan and Isolde” (1859) - an enthusiastic hymn to eternal love, sung in medieval legends, colored with anxious forebodings, permeated with a sense of the inevitability of a fatal outcome. And along with such a composition immersed in darkness, the dazzling light of the popular festival crowned the opera “Die Meistersinger of Nuremberg” (1867), where in an open competition of singers the most worthy, marked by a true gift, wins, and self-satisfied and stupidly pedantic mediocrity is put to shame. And finally, the master’s last creation - “Parsifal” (1882) - an attempt to musically and scenically represent the utopia of universal brotherhood, where the seemingly indestructible power of evil was defeated and wisdom, justice and purity reigned.

Wagner occupied a completely exceptional position in European music of the 19th century - it is difficult to name a composer who would not have been influenced by him. Wagner's discoveries influenced the development of musical theater in the 20th century. - composers learned lessons from them, but then moved in different ways, including those opposite to those outlined by the great German musician.

M. Tarakanov

The significance of Wagner in the history of world musical culture. His ideological and creative appearance

Wagner is one of those great artists whose work had a great influence on the development of world culture. His genius was universal: Wagner became famous not only as the author of outstanding musical works, but also as a wonderful conductor, who, along with Berlioz, was the founder of the modern art of conducting; he was a talented poet-playwright - the creator of librettos for his operas - and a gifted publicist and musical theater theorist. Such versatile activity, combined with ebullient energy and a titanic will in establishing his artistic principles, attracted widespread attention to Wagner’s personality and music: his ideological and creative achievements caused heated debate both during the composer’s lifetime and after his death. They have not subsided to this day.

“As a composer,” said P. I. Tchaikovsky, “Wagner is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable personalities in the second half of this (that is, the 19th. - M.D.) centuries, and his influence on music is enormous." This influence was multifaceted: it extended not only to the musical theater, where Wagner worked most of all as the author of thirteen operas, but also to the expressive means of musical art; Wagner's contribution to the field of program symphony is also significant.

“...He is great as an opera composer,” said N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. “His operas,” wrote A. N. Serov, “... entered the German people and became national treasure in its own way, no less than the operas of Weber or the works of Goethe or Schiller.” “He was gifted with a great gift of poetry, powerful creativity, his imagination was enormous, his initiative was strong, his artistic skill was great...” - this is how V. V. Stasov characterized the best sides of Wagner’s genius. The music of this remarkable composer, according to Serov, opened up “unknown, immense horizons” in art.

Paying tribute to Wagner's genius, his daring courage as an innovative artist, leading figures of Russian music (primarily Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stasov) criticized some tendencies in his work that distracted from the tasks of real depiction of life. Wagner's general artistic principles and his aesthetic views as applied to musical theater were subjected to especially fierce criticism. Tchaikovsky briefly and aptly said about this: “While I admire the composer, I have little sympathy for what is the cult of Wagner’s theories.” Wagner's favorite ideas, images of his operatic work, and methods of their musical embodiment were also disputed.

However, along with well-aimed critical remarks, there is an intense struggle for the assertion of national identity Russian musical theater, so different from German operatic art, sometimes caused biased judgments. In this regard, M. P. Mussorgsky very correctly noted: “We often criticize Wagner, but Wagner is strong and powerful because he probes art and tugs at it...”.

An even more fierce struggle arose around the name and cause of Wagner in foreign countries. Along with enthusiastic fans who believed that from now on theater should develop only along Wagner’s path, there were also musicians who completely rejected the ideological and artistic value of Wagner’s works and saw in his influence only detrimental consequences for the evolution of musical art. The Wagnerians and their opponents took irreconcilably hostile positions. While sometimes expressing fair thoughts and observations, with their biased assessments they rather confused these issues rather than helping to resolve them. Such extreme points views were not shared by the largest foreign composers of the second half of the 19th century century - Verdi, Bizet, Brahms - but even they, recognizing Wagner’s genius, did not accept everything in his music.

Wagner's work gave rise to conflicting assessments, because not only his multifaceted activity, but also the composer's personality itself was torn apart by severe contradictions. By one-sidedly emphasizing any one aspect of the complex image of the creator and man, Wagner’s apologists, as well as detractors, gave a distorted idea of ​​his significance in the history of world culture. To correctly determine this meaning, one must understand Wagner's personality and life's work in all its complexity.

A double knot of contradictions characterizes Wagner. On the one hand, these are contradictions between worldview and creativity. Of course, one cannot deny the connections that existed between them, but the activities composer Wagner was far from coinciding with the activities of Wagner, the prolific writer-publicist, who expressed many reactionary thoughts on issues of politics and religion, especially in the last period of his life. On the other hand, both his aesthetic and socio-political views are sharply contradictory. A rebellious rebel, Wagner already arrived at the revolution of 1848-1849 with an extremely confused worldview. It remained so during the years of the defeat of the revolution, when reactionary ideology poisoned the composer’s consciousness with the poison of pessimism, gave rise to subjectivist sentiments, and led to the establishment of national-chauvinist or clerical ideas. All this could not but affect the contradictory nature of his ideological and artistic quests.

But Wagner is truly great in that, despite subjective reactionary views, despite their ideological instability, objectively reflected in artistic creativity essential aspects of reality, revealed - in an allegorical, figurative form - the contradictions of life, exposed the capitalist world of lies and deceit, exposed the drama of great spiritual aspirations, powerful impulses for happiness and unaccomplished heroic deeds, broken hopes. Not a single composer of the post-Beethoven period in foreign XIX countries century failed to raise such a large complex of burning issues of our time as Wagner. Therefore, he became the “ruler of thoughts” of a number of generations, and his work absorbed large, exciting problems of modern culture.

Wagner did not give a clear answer to the vital questions he posed, but his historical merit lies in the fact that he posed them so sharply. He was able to do this because he permeated all his activities with a passionate, irreconcilable hatred of capitalist oppression. Whatever he expressed in theoretical articles, whatever reactionary political views he defended, Wagner in his musical work was always on the side of those who sought the active use of their powers in establishing a sublime and humane principle in life, against those who were mired in the swamp bourgeois well-being and self-interest. And, perhaps, no one else managed to show the tragedy with such artistic persuasiveness and power. modern life poisoned by bourgeois civilization.

A sharply expressed anti-capitalist orientation gives Wagner's work enormous progressive significance, although he was unable to understand the complexity of the phenomena he depicted.

Wagner is the last major romantic artist of the 19th century. Romantic ideas, themes, images were entrenched in his work even in the pre-revolutionary years; they were developed by him later. After the revolution of 1848, many prominent composers, under the influence of new social conditions, as a result of a sharper exposure of class contradictions, switched to other topics and switched to realistic positions in their coverage (the most striking example of this is Verdi). But Wagner remained a romantic, although his inherent inconsistency was reflected in the fact that at different stages of his activity, either the features of realism or, conversely, reactionary romanticism more actively appeared.

This commitment to romantic themes and the means of expressing them placed him in a special position among many of his contemporaries. The individual properties of Wagner’s personality, who was always dissatisfied and restless, also had an effect.

His life is full of unusual ups and downs, passions and periods of boundless despair. I had to overcome countless obstacles to promote my innovative ideas. Years, sometimes decades, passed before he was able to hear the scores own compositions. One had to have an ineradicable thirst for creativity in order to work in these difficult conditions the way Wagner worked. Serving art was the main motivation of his life. (“I exist not to earn money, but to create,” Wagner proudly declared). That is why, despite cruel ideological mistakes and breakdowns, relying on the progressive traditions of German music, he achieved such outstanding artistic results: following Beethoven, he sang the heroics of human daring, like Bach, with an amazing richness of shades he revealed the world of human spiritual experiences and, following the path Weber, embodied images of German folk legends and tales in music, and created magnificent pictures of nature. Such a variety of ideological and artistic solutions and perfect mastery are characteristic of the best works of Richard Wagner.

Themes, images and plots of Wagner's operas. Principles of musical dramaturgy. Features of musical language

Wagner as an artist emerged in the conditions of social upsurge in pre-revolutionary Germany. During these years, he not only formalized his aesthetic views and outlined ways to transform musical theater, but also defined a circle of images and subjects close to himself. It was in the 40s, simultaneously with Tannhäuser and Lohengrin, that Wagner thought through the plans for all the operas he worked on in the following decades (The exceptions are “Tristan” and “Parsifal”, the concept of which matured during the years of the defeat of the revolution; this explains the stronger influence of pessimistic moods than in other works.). He mainly drew material for these works from folk legends and tales. Their content, however, served him original a point for independent creativity, not ultimate purpose. In an effort to emphasize thoughts and moods close to modern times, Wagner subjected folk poetic sources to free processing, modernized them, because, he said, every historical generation can discover in myth my topic. His sense of artistic proportion and tact failed him when subjectivist ideas took precedence over objective meaning folk legends, but in many cases, when modernizing plots and images, the composer managed to preserve the vital truth of folk poetry. The mixing of such different tendencies is one of the most characteristic features of Wagnerian dramaturgy, both its strengths and weak sides. However, referring to epic plots and images, Wagner gravitated towards them purely psychological interpretation - this, in turn, gave rise to an acutely contradictory struggle between the “Siegfried” and “Tristan” principles in his work.

Wagner turned to ancient legends and legendary images because he found great tragic plots in them. He was less interested in the real situation of distant antiquity or the historical past, although here he achieved a lot, especially in “Die Meistersinger of Nuremberg”, in which realistic tendencies were more pronounced. But above all, Wagner sought to show emotional drama strong characters. A modern epic of the struggle for happiness he consistently embodied in various images and plots of his operas. This is the Flying Dutchman, persecuted by fate, tormented by his conscience, passionately dreaming of peace; this is Tannhäuser, torn apart by a contradictory passion for sensual pleasure and for a moral, harsh life; this is Lohengrin, rejected and not understood by people.

The struggle of life in Wagner's view is full of tragedy. Passion burns Tristan and Isolde; Elsa (in Lohengrin) dies after breaking the prohibition of her beloved. The inactive figure of Wotan is tragic; through lies and deceit he achieved illusory power, which brought grief to people. But the fate of Wagner’s most vital hero, Sigmund, is also tragic; and even Siegfried, far from the storms of life's dramas, this naive, powerful child of nature, is doomed to a tragic death. Everywhere and everywhere - a painful search for happiness, a desire to accomplish heroic deeds, but they are not allowed to come true - lies and deceit, violence and deceit have entangled life.

According to Wagner, salvation from suffering caused by a passionate desire for happiness lies in selfless love: it is the highest manifestation of the human principle. But love should not be passive - life is affirmed in achievement. Thus, the calling of Lohengrin - the defender of the innocently accused Elsa - is the fight for the rights of virtue; feat is life ideal Siegfried, his love for Brünnhilde calls him to new heroic deeds.

All Wagner's operas, starting with his mature works of the 40s, have features of ideological community and unity of musical and dramatic concept. The revolution of 1848-1849 marked an important milestone in the ideological and artistic evolution of the composer, increasing the inconsistency of his creativity. But basically the essence of the search for means of embodying a certain, stable range of ideas, themes, and images remained unchanged.

Wagner permeated his operas unity of dramatic expression, for which he unfolded the action in a continuous, continuous stream. Strengthening the psychological principle, the desire for a truthful transfer of processes mental life necessitated such continuity. Wagner was not alone in such quests. This was also achieved, each in his own way, by the best representatives of opera art of the 19th century - Russian classics, Verdi, Bizet, Smetana. But Wagner, continuing what his immediate predecessor in German music Weber had outlined, most consistently developed the principles end-to-end development in the musical and dramatic genre. He merged individual opera episodes, scenes, even paintings into a freely developing action. Wagner enriched the means of operatic expression with the forms of monologue, dialogue, and large symphonic structures. But paying more and more attention to depicting the inner world of the characters by depicting externally scenic, effective moments, he introduced into his music features of subjectivism and psychological complexity, which in turn gave rise to verbosity and destroyed the form, making it loose and amorphous. All this exacerbated the inconsistency of Wagnerian dramaturgy.

One of the important means of its expressiveness is the leitmotif system. Wagner did not invent it: musical motifs that evoked certain associations with specific life phenomena or psychological processes were also used by composers french revolution the end of the 18th century, both by Weber and Meyerbeer, and in the field of symphonic music - by Berlioz, Liszt and others. But Wagner differs from his predecessors and contemporaries in his broader, more consistent use of this system (The fanatical Wagnerians made a fair mistake in studying this issue, trying to give every theme, even intonation, a leitmotif meaning and endow all leitmotifs, no matter how brief, with almost comprehensive content.).

Any mature Wagner opera contains twenty-five to thirty leitmotifs that permeate the fabric of the score (However, in operas of the 40s the number of leitmotifs does not exceed ten.). He began composing the opera by developing a musical theme. So, for example, in the very first sketches of “The Ring of the Nibelung” the funeral march from “The Death of the Gods” is depicted, which, as said, contains a complex of the most important heroic themes of the tetralogy; First of all, the overture was written for “Die Meistersinger” - it enshrines the main thematic theme of the opera, etc.

Wagner's creative imagination is inexhaustible in inventing themes of remarkable beauty and plasticity, in which many essential phenomena of life are reflected and generalized. Often these themes provide an organic combination of expressive and figurative principles, which helps to concretize the musical image. In the operas of the 40s, the melodies are extended: the leading themes-images outline different facets of phenomena. This method of musical characterization continues in later works, but Wagner’s predilection for vague philosophizing sometimes gives rise to impersonal leitmotifs that are intended to express abstract concepts. These motives are brief, devoid of the warmth of human breath, incapable of development, and have no internal connection with each other. So along with themes-images arise themes-symbols.

Unlike the latter, the best themes of Wagner's operas do not live separately throughout the work, they do not represent unchanging, isolated formations. Quite the contrary. The leading motifs contain common features, and together they form certain thematic complexes that express shades and gradations of feelings or details of a single picture. Wagner brings together different topics and motives through subtle changes, comparisons or combinations of them at the same time. “The composer’s work on these motifs is truly amazing,” wrote Rimsky-Korsakov.

Wagner's dramatic method and his principles of symphonization of opera scores had an undoubted influence on the art of subsequent times. Major composers musical theater in the second half of the 19th and 20th centuries took advantage, to one degree or another, of the artistic achievements of the Wagnerian leitmotif system, although they did not accept its extremes (for example, Smetana and Rimsky-Korsakov, Puccini and Prokofiev).

The interpretation of the vocal principle in Wagner's operas is also noted for its originality.

Fighting against superficial, uncharacteristic melody in a dramatic sense, he argued that vocal music should be based on the reproduction of intonations, or, as Wagner said, accents of speech. “Dramatic melody,” he wrote, “finds support in verse and language.” There are no fundamentally new points in this statement. During the 18th-19th centuries, many composers turned to the embodiment of speech intonations in music in order to update the intonation structure of their works (for example, Gluck, Mussorgsky). Wagner's sublime declamation introduced a lot of new things into the music of the 19th century. From now on, it was impossible to return to the old patterns of operatic melody. Unprecedented new creative tasks stood in front of the singers performing Wagner's operas. But, based on his abstract and speculative concepts, he sometimes unilaterally emphasized declamatory elements to the detriment of song elements, subordinating the development of the vocal element to symphonic development.

Of course, many pages of Wagner's operas are filled with full-blooded, varied vocal melody, conveying the finest shades of expressiveness. The operas of the 40s are rich in such melodicism, among which “The Flying Dutchman” stands out for its folk-song composition, and “Lohengrin” for its melodiousness and heartfelt warmth. But in subsequent works, especially in “Die Walküre” and “Die Meistersinger,” the vocal part is endowed with great content and acquires leading importance. One can recall Sigmund’s “spring song”, the monologue about the sword Notung, the love duet, the dialogue between Brünnhilde and Sigmund, Wotan’s farewell; in “Die Meistersinger” - songs by Walter, monologues by Sax, his songs about Eve and the Shoemaker Angel, quintet, folk choirs; in addition - songs of sword forging (in the opera “Siegfried”); Siegfried's story on the hunt, Brünnhilde's dying monologue (“Death of the Gods”), etc. But there are also pages of the score where the vocal part either takes on an exaggeratedly pompous tone, or, on the contrary, is relegated to the role of an optional appendage to the orchestral part. Such a violation of the artistic balance between the vocal and instrumental principles is characteristic of the internal inconsistency of Wagner's musical dramaturgy.

Wagner's achievements as a symphonist are indisputable; he consistently affirmed the principles of programming in his work. His overtures and orchestral introductions (Wagner created four operatic overtures (for the operas “Rienzi”, “The Flying Dutchman”, “Tannhäuser”, “Die Meistersinger”) and three architecturally completed orchestral introductions (“Lohengrin”, “Tristan”, “Parsifal”).), symphonic intermissions and numerous paintings provided, according to Rimsky-Korsakov, “the richest material for fine music, and where Wagner’s texture turned out to be suitable for at this moment, there he turned out to be truly great and powerful in the power of the plasticity of his images, thanks to his incomparable, ingenious instrumentation and expression.” Tchaikovsky equally highly regarded Wagner’s symphonic music, noting its “unprecedentedly beautiful instrumentation” and “amazing richness of harmonic and polyphonic fabric.” V. Stasov, like Tchaikovsky or Rimsky-Korsakov, who condemned Wagner’s operatic work for many things, wrote that his orchestra “is new, rich, often dazzling in color, in poetry and charm of the strongest, but also the most delicate and sensually charming colors... ."

Already in the early works of the 40s, Wagner achieved brilliance, fullness and richness of orchestral sound; introduced a triple cast (in “The Ring of the Nibelung” - a quadruple cast); used the range of strings more widely, especially due to the upper register (his favorite technique is the high arrangement of string chords divisi); gave a melodic purpose to brass instruments (such is the powerful unison of three trumpets and three trombones in the reprise of the Tannhäuser overture or the unisons of brass on a moving harmonic background of strings in “The Ride of the Valkyries” and “The Spell of Fire”, etc.). By mixing the sound of the three main groups of the orchestra (strings, wood, brass), Wagner achieved flexible, plastic variability of the symphonic fabric. High contrapuntal skill helped him in this. Moreover, his orchestra is not only colorful, but also characteristic, sensitively reacting to the development of dramatic feelings and situations.

Wagner also appears to be an innovator in the field of harmony. In search of the strongest expressive effects, he intensified the tension of musical speech, saturated it with chromatisms, alterations, complex chord complexes, created a “multi-layered” polyphonic texture, and used bold, extraordinary modulations. These quests sometimes gave rise to exquisite tension in style, but never acquired the character of artistically unjustified experiments.

Wagner sharply opposed the search for “musical combinations for their own sake, only for the sake of their inherent sharpness.” Addressing young composers, he implored them to “never turn harmonic and orchestral effects into an end in themselves.” Wagner was an opponent of groundless daring; he fought for the truthful expression of deeply human feelings and thoughts and in this regard maintained contact with the progressive traditions of German music, becoming one of its most outstanding representatives. But throughout its long and difficult life in art he was sometimes carried away by false ideas and deviated from the right path.

Without forgiving Wagner for his errors, noting the significant contradictions of his views and creativity, rejecting the reactionary features in them, we highly value the brilliant German artist, who upheld his ideals with principle and conviction, enriching world culture with wonderful musical creations.

M. Druskin

If we want to make a list of characters, scenes, costumes, objects that abound in Wagner's operas, we will see fairy world. Dragons, dwarfs, giants, gods and demigods, spears, helmets, swords, trumpets, rings, horns, harps, banners, storms, rainbows, swans, doves, lakes, rivers, mountains, fires, seas and ships on them, miraculous phenomena and disappearances, bowls of poison and magic drinks, disguises, flying horses, enchanted castles, fortresses, duels, inaccessible peaks, sky-high heights, underwater and earthly abysses, blooming gardens, sorceresses, young heroes, disgusting evil creatures, immaculate and eternally young beauties, priests and knights, passionate lovers, cunning sages, powerful rulers and rulers suffering from terrible spells... There is no need to say that magic, witchcraft reigns everywhere, and the constant background of everything is the struggle between good and evil, sin and salvation, darkness and light. To describe all this, the music must be magnificent, dressed in luxurious clothes, full of small details, like a big realistic novel, inspired by the fantasy that fuels adventure and chivalric novels in which anything can happen. Even when Wagner narrates ordinary events commensurate with ordinary people, he always tries to get away from everyday life: to depict love, its charms, contempt for danger, unlimited personal freedom. All his adventures arise spontaneously, and the music turns out natural, flowing as if there were no obstacles in its path: it has a power that dispassionately embraces all possible life and turns it into a miracle. She easily and outwardly nonchalantly moves from pedantic imitation of pre-19th century music to the most stunning innovations, to the music of the future.

There are many significant names in the history of opera, but one of them serves as a milestone or, better said, a watershed. Richard Wagner divided the entire history of world opera - before and after him. The work of this German composer brought revolutionary changes to the art of opera. The opera genre after Wagner will never be the same as it was before him.

“Not many musicians have received such contradictory, polar assessments as Richard Wagner,” stated writer and musicologist Édouard Schuré, who knew the composer. “He suffered the fate of all major reformers. Opponents and enemies who recognized the indomitable fighter mainly by those blows which they received from him portrayed him as a man of extremes, exorbitant pride and boundless egoism, taking into account people and objects only to the extent that he needed them, and indifferent to everything else.”

“What Nietzsche wrote about Wagner cannot give us a correct assessment of Wagner as a poet and thinker; what Nordau said about him in his “Degeneration”, we consider vulgar and frivolous. “Who,” as the newest historian of German literature says Kuno-Franke, “German literature owes the first energetic proclamation of the artistic ideals of the future, the ideals of collectivist pantheism,” and in Russia “it is worthy of a more objective and more correct assessment,” Henri Lishtanberger emphasized in December 1904 in the preface to the Russian translation of the book. Richard Wagner as a poet and thinker" S. Soloviev. Perhaps it was the poet Sergei Mikhailovich Solovyov, nephew of the philosopher and poet Vladimir Solovyov, second cousin of Alexander Blok. He complained about how few books about Wagner there are in Russia.

And now, on the eve of Wagner’s anniversary, a Russian biography of the composer was published, which will fill many gaps in Wagner’s life. Its author, Marina Zalesskaya, writes: “The controversy around Wagner’s work still continues, which causes fanatical delight among some, and persistent rejection among others. Needless to say, the personality of the composer himself is equally contradictory and ambiguous? On the one hand, this a radiant knight in shining armor, praising the beauty of eternal love. On the other hand, a man who tramples on the sacred bonds of friendship and is deprived of an elementary feeling of gratitude. Wagner is a brilliant composer, reformer, philosopher, “poet and thinker,” in the apt expression of a deep researcher of his work, Henri Lishtanberger "And he is a petty miser, greedy for money and always fleeing from his creditors."

Born on May 22, 1813, the youngest child in the Wagner family was baptized in the Leipzig Church of St. Thomas, where the great Johann Sebastian Bach served as cantor for more than a quarter of a century. Wilhelm Richard Wagner's father died of typhus exactly six months after the birth of his fourth son. In August 1814, his mother remarried an old family friend, actor and painter Ludwig Heinrich Christian Geyer, who actually replaced Wagner's father. The next year, the actor received an invitation to the Dresden Royal Theater and the family left Leipzig. The boy was sent to school under his stepfather's name. “Thus,” Wagner wrote in his autobiography, “my Dresden childhood comrades knew me until the age of fourteen under the name of Richard Geyer.” And only six years after the death of his stepfather, returning to his hometown, Richard from “Korshun” (surname Geyer homophone of the word "kite" - Geier) again turned into a “carriage maker” (Wagner).

The famous German literary critic, almost official biography composer, suggested that Geyer was not a stepfather, but Richard’s own father. The founder and director of the Wagner Society in Riga, Karl Friedrich Glasenapp, made his conclusion based on one episode from the composer’s life, when Richard, looking at the portrait of Geyer hanging in his office, suddenly caught a similarity between his son Siegfried and the probable “grandfather”. The composer really had a spiritual closeness with his stepfather and Richard subconsciously strived to be like Geyer.

Another person who had a huge impact on the future musical genius was Pastor Wetzel, who mentored Richard (then Geyer) for a year. As for creativity, the young composer was influenced, first of all, by Beethoven, K. M. Weber, Mozart, and then G. A. Marshner. And, of course, we must not forget how close the writer and musician Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann turned out to be for the young Wagner. If we use Goethe’s expression, “Ah, two souls live in my sick breast,” then in Richard’s healthy breast lived passions that were not alien to each other. To music and literary creativity. As a 15-year-old teenager, Wagner, who received a classical education, wrote the great tragedy Leubald und Adelaide. In it, researchers see the influence of Shakespeare and Goethe, especially his “Goetz von Berlichingen”. The heroine's name is borrowed from Beethoven's "Adelaide".

Richard's family did not like his play, and he decided to write music for it. But he did not yet have the necessary knowledge, and to take systematic lessons His mother did not allow him music. My first piano sonata d-moll(D minor) Wagner wrote in 1829, followed by a string quartet D major(D major), not yet having a clear understanding of the laws of composition. The failure of the next overture forced him to put an end to amateurism in music. Richard began taking music theory lessons from Theodor Weinlich, the cantor of the Church of St. Thomas, in which he was baptized. Having mastered music, Richard began writing librettos for his own operas. This first happened when musical critic, librettist and later friend of the composer, Heinrich Rudolf Constanz Laube, offered Wagner his finished opera text - the heroic opera Kosciuszko. But the composer, as he admitted, “immediately felt that Laube was mistaken regarding the nature of the reproduction of historical events.” After several squabbles with Laube, Richard decided that from now on he would write all the librettos for his operas himself. At that time, Wagner replaced the patriotic gentlemen with the plot of Carlo Gozzi's fairy tale "The Snake Woman". He will call his opera “Fairies” (Die Feen).

WAGNER(Wagner) Richard (1813-1883). German composer, conductor, librettist and music writer. Born in Leipzig into the family of a police official. The father died shortly after the birth of his son, after which the family moved to Dresden. His mother is remarrying. WITH early childhood Richard was brought up in an atmosphere of art and theater (his stepfather was a talented actor and artist). In 1829, the young man, who was drawn to music, was indelibly impressed by the performance of a Beethoven opera Fidelio 1 in a play with Schröder-Devrient. Largely under the influence of this artistic experience, he finally decides to devote himself to composing.

Wagner's first experiments as a composer date back to the same year. In 1831 he entered the University of Leipzig, studied music theory with the cantor of the Church of St. Thomas. It begins in 1833 professional activity as a musician, he receives a position as choirmaster at the Würzburg Opera House.

Wagner's further life path represents years of creative search in conditions of severe material deprivation. This continued until he met his high patron and admirer, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, in the fateful year of 1864, thanks to whom, freed from everyday troubles, he was able to concentrate entirely on creativity.

The main place in the composer's heritage is occupied by opera. Wagner is a reformer of the art of opera, a figure as majestic as he is controversial. In his art, he has come a long and thorny path from imitating romantic opuses Weber, Marschner etc. to innovative musical drama Ring of the Nibelung and final Parsifal. Possessing literary talent, the composer himself wrote the libretto for his works.

His first operas “Fairies” (1834, post. 1888, Munich) and “The Ban of Love” (1836, Magdeburg) are still very imitative. Based on a traditional number structure, they are written in the spirit of German romanticism (Fairies), Italian and French comic operas (The Ban of Love).

In a large 5-act opera Rienzi(1842, Dresden), the composer is also not completely independent, although this work represents a significant step forward. It can also be seen as an indirect influence Spontini And Meyerbeer. The splendor of the historical costume plot in the spirit grand opera was quite suitable for production at the Paris Grand Opera, which, however, could not even be dreamed of at that time. The opera was staged with great success, strengthening the determination to continue to pursue his arduous task.

In fact, only in the next opera, a romantic ballad Flying Dutchman(1843, Dresden) the clear shoots of the composer’s reform efforts are already beginning to be visible. The presence of a leitmotif system (of course, not yet as branched as in later works), large through scenes with free melodic development, overcoming the traditional division into numbers (which still exist here) is evidence of this. Other future trends are also visible: the aria is already “striving” to monologue, and duets take on a dialogic character. True, Wagner does not yet fully master the form here; lengthiness is felt in the work, which, however, in the future he did not completely get rid of.

IN Tannhäuser(1845, Dresden) and especially in Lohengrine(1850, Weimar) - two opuses that completed the first period of Wagner's work, when his artistic and aesthetic worldview was being formed - many typical features of Wagner's mature style are already fully manifested. End-to-end continuous dramatic development is becoming increasingly important. Moreover, it is felt not only in the form of constructing detailed scenes, but also penetrates into the actual musical fabric of the work. This is expressed in the flexibility and freedom of presentation of vocal parts, in the elements endless melody, the principles of which would be formulated by the composer in complete form later (1860). One of the most effective techniques, directly resulting from the new principles of material development and which became Wagner’s “trademark”, was the lengthy preparation of climaxes. In these works the role of the orchestra also increases and the symphonization of the opera develops. Among the composer's successful discoveries in Lohengrin is a brilliant orchestral technique that delighted P. I. Tchaikovsky, which consists in using the sound of strings in the highest register to convey sublime poetic feelings or ecstasy. If we talk about the ideological orientation of the works, which for Wagner was almost of decisive importance, then the composer’s steady interest in the themes of “redemption”, “love “thirst” for saving artistic nature from tragic loneliness in the hostile world around him is obvious.

Summing up this period of the composer’s life, we can state that he was full of wanderings, searching for his path in music, as well as philosophical and political quests. Wagner, under the influence of the ideas of M. Bakunin, was infected with revolutionary ideas, which he subsequently overcame. In 1849, after the defeat of the Dresden Uprising, in which the composer took part, he was even forced to flee Germany through Paris to Switzerland.

The conducting activity that began in Magdeburg became very useful for the composer. Here in 1834 he made his debut as a bandmaster ( Don Juan Mozart). Wagner's activities in Königsberg and Dresden, where the composer's authority grew significantly after the success of Rienzi, were fruitful in this field. Among the most significant conducting achievements is the Dresden production Iphigenia in Aulis Gluck in 1847 in a new edition by Wagner himself. In it, the composer tried, without coming into strong conflict with Gluck's score, to make some changes to the instrumentation, making the orchestra sound more modern. He also added a conclusion to the overture in anticipation of its independent concert performance, and made a number of other adjustments to the musical text. Later, Wagner the conductor made a number of concert tours throughout Europe, including a visit to Russia (1863). He pioneered the practice of conducting with his face to the orchestra and his back to the audience.

In the 50s Wagner is actively engaged in literary work, philosophical and aesthetic understanding of his worldview, preparation and the beginning of the implementation of his life’s work - the cycle “The Ring of the Nibelung”. Among the most important theoretical works of this period is the major theoretical work “Opera and Drama” (1851), where he sets out his fundamental views on the operatic genre and its life and artistic purpose. To understand his approach to opera, let us quote one of the composer’s main thoughts: “The mistake in the artistic genre of opera was that the means of expression (music) was made the goal, and the goal of expression (drama) the means.” So you can do main conclusion: for Wagner it was obvious that opera should become musical drama. Essentially, the entire further creative evolution of the composer is subordinated to this. Here the contradictions that arise from such a thesis are immediately visible. The composer, in fact, erases the entire history of the development of opera before him. And, most importantly, by denying the system-forming role of music in the art of opera, reducing it to a subordinate position as a commentator on the literary and dramatic concept, Wagner deprives this genre of its specificity, and with it that life-giving source that alone gives birth to sensual artistic images that have a clearly defined non-conceptual basis.

Of course, Wagner's original thesis is wrong. And with his further work, he, in essence, inevitably proves this. Strengthening the symphonic beginning and brilliant discoveries in the field of orchestral sound (for example, expanded use of the range of strings and the function of brass); development of the leitmotif system and “musicalization” recitative; new discoveries in the field of harmony ( Tristan chord, bold modulations and chromatisms, etc.) and melodics for a more adequate musical expression of feelings and emotions - isn’t this a recognition of the obvious fact that it is in music that one must look for the main means of expression! And he, like a true artist, found them there. Moreover, if we add to all of the above, that the most adequate literary basis for the tasks facing musical drama, Wagner saw in myth, then we can confidently state: the composer does not need anything accidental and momentary, he is looking for the eternal, enduring and comprehensive– exactly what a musical image, as opposed to a verbal one, can best give!

Wagner thinks of the ideal musical drama as total work of art(Gesamtkunstwerk) - a synthesis of various arts (poetry, drama, music, scenography, plastic arts). However, if in musical and dramatic terms the composer acts as an innovator, then with regard to the visualization of the opera and its stage implementation he is more than conservative. His ideas about staging performances are quite standard and are quite consistent with the naturalistic routine that was common in theatrical practice of those times. This state of affairs shows that discussions about some kind of synthesis for the most part remained declarations. A number of astute researchers (e.g. Appiah) this became clear already at the end of the 19th century.

Early 50s - the most important stage in Wagner’s life, not only in the field of understanding the theoretical foundations of opera. He was a man of action and, above all, an artist-creator. Therefore, the theory certainly had to be embodied in some real forms of art. So he gradually formed the idea of ​​​​creating a musical epic about the Nibelungs (for more details, see Ring of the Nibelung). By 1853, the full text of the tetralogy's libretto was ready and printed in a small edition for friends and like-minded people. At the same time, Wagner also shared with his friends his dream of creating a special theater to showcase musical dramas.

In 1854 the composer completes the score Rhine Gold, the first part of the tetralogy, and in 1856 he finished Valkyrie. Further work on “The Ring” slowed down due to preoccupation with the plot Tristan and Isolde– the greatest love tragedy, in which the author’s personal experiences were refracted (his dramatic relationship with his wife close friend Matilda Wesendonck). By 1859, the composition of this opera was completed.

Meanwhile, creative and life problems continued to haunt the composer. In 1861, the Paris premiere of Tannhäuser failed, despite the fact that Wagner tried to adapt the opera to the requirements of the Grand Opera, where the performance was staged, in particular, by significantly reworking and expanding the bacchanalia scene in the Grotto of Venus. In 1864, the composer, carried away by his daughter Liszt Cosima, wife outstanding conductor Bülowa, finally breaks up with his wife Minna, whom he married back in 1836 (the relationship with her had long become difficult).

And here wonderful help comes in the person of the new Bavarian monarch Ludwig II, who brings the creator closer to himself, pays all his debts and creates conditions for calm creative work. The capital of Bavaria, Munich, becomes a happy haven for the composer. It is here, under the direction of Bülow, who managed to overcome personal grievances in the name of serving art, that the world premieres of his new creations - Tristan and Isolde (1865) and Mastersingers of Nuremberg(1868), and then in 1869-70, conductor F. Wüllner, on the initiative of the monarch, despite the opposition of the author, performed the first two parts of the tetralogy.

The opera “Die Meistersinger of Nuremberg”, with its bright folk color and comedic episodes, stands apart in the composer’s work. In this work, the composer also, with unprecedented polemical fervor, defends the creator’s right to innovation.

The last period of Wagner’s creative career is associated primarily with the completion of the cycle “The Ring of the Nibelung” ( Siegfried And Death of gods) and the fulfillment of a long-standing dream of creating a theater for the performance of his operas, for the construction of which Bayreuth was chosen (see. Bayreuth Festival), where the composer decided to settle. With the help of the king, the dream was finally realized, and in 1874 the construction of the theater was successfully completed. By this time, the final point had been made in the score of the tetralogy, which premiered in Bayreuth in 1876 under the direction of Richter. The performances brought together the entire color of musical Europe. The premiere was attended by Liszt, Saint-Saëns, Grieg, Bruckner, Rubinstein, Cui, Serov, Tchaikovsky and many other major figures in musical art. The event had a huge resonance in Europe, although not everyone appreciated it unambiguously. Not least of all, this was due to the very ordinary stage embodiment of the tetralogy.

"Ring of the Nibelung" - central work Wagner. In this gigantic mythological fresco based on the Old Scandinavian and Old Germanic epics, he tried to embody and bring together all his aesthetic, social and musical ideas. The scale of the theater is as impressive as it is overwhelming for the listener, who must take in at one glance the architecture of this grandiose artistic building, which includes more than a hundred leitmotifs.

The historical and artistic significance of the premiere did not translate into commercial success. After three performances, the performance of the tetralogy had to be stopped. Regular activity of the theater, which laid the foundation for the Bayreuth Festival, resumed only in 1882, when the composer's last opera, Parsifal, was presented to the public. Wagner considered this “solemn stage mystery” to be his best work. In it, all the previous achievements and innovations of the composer in the field of dramaturgy and musical language.

In 1883, Wagner died in Venice.

Wagner's influence on the world musical process is great. It affected both his supporters and opponents, for even those composers whose creative principles were very far from Wagner’s could not ignore his achievements. The spirit of the achievements of the great German is one way or another felt in the works of composers of completely different schools and directions - in the harmonic language Rimsky-Korsakov, in orchestral sonorities Massenet, and even Verdi in musical dramaturgy later works, not to mention the composers of the 20th century.

Wagner's outstanding achievements as a musician are great and indisputable, which cannot be said about his role as a reformer of the opera genre as a whole. If we consider Wagner's theory of musical drama and its practical implementation from a global artistic-historical point of view and from the height of modernity, we will have to admit that it played an ambiguous role in further development opera genre, as a unique phenomenon of new European culture, the dominant expressiveness of which, after all, has always been self-sufficient dramatic logic, and, above all, the creation of sensory and musical images through singing “magic”. In this sense, and from the point of view of operatic organics, destructive moments are also felt in Wagner’s reform. First of all, this concerns the vocals, which took a subordinate position for the composer.

Wagner had practically no direct followers, with the exception of second-rate epigones. And most of the outstanding composers, using his achievements, went their own way, where Wagner’s aesthetics turned out to be not a point of attraction, but a kind of point of repulsion, even when it came to the development of the musical and dramatic principle in opera. Vivid examples may serve the work of Mussorgsky or Debussy.

The basis of Wagner's creative heritage consists of 13 operas. Along with them, the composer created a series symphonic works, among them a Symphony, several overtures (including the brilliant “Faust” overture), an orchestral play “Siegfried the Idyll” based on the themes of the opera of the same name, dedicated to the birth of his son Siegfried (1869-1930), future composer and conductor, author several operas. Among the works of other genres, one can note 3 piano sonatas, several works for choir, songs set to the music of 5 poems by M. Wesendonk for voice and piano. Wagner also wrote the theoretical work “Beethoven”, the book of memoirs “My Life”, etc.

WAGNER'S OPERAS:

“The Wedding” - 1833, not finished.
"Fairies" - 1834, post. 1888, Munich, based on the fairy tale “The Snake Woman” by Gozzi.
“The Ban of Love” - 1836, Magdeburg, based on W. Shakespeare’s comedy “Measure for Measure.”
“Rienzi” (“Rienzi, the last tribune”) - 1842, Dresden, based on the novel by E. Bulwer-Lytton.
“The Flying Dutchman” - 1843, Dresden, libretto based on a folk legend and a short story by G. Heine.
“Tannhäuser” (“Tannhäuser and the singing competition in the Wartburg”) - 1845, Dresden, libretto based on medieval legends.
“Lohengrin” - 1850, Weimar, libretto based on medieval sagas.
“Tristan and Isolde” - 1865, Munich, libretto based on the Celtic saga by G. Strasbourg.
“The Mastersingers of Nuremberg” - 1868, Munich, libretto based on the Nuremberg chronicle of the 17th century.
“The Ring of the Nibelung” - complete cycle 1876, Bayreuth, libretto based on Scandinavian and German epics.
- “Rhine Gold” - 1854, post. 1869, Munich.
- “Valkyrie” - 1856, post. 1870, Munich.
- “Siegfried” - 1876, Bayreuth.
- “The Death of the Gods” - 1876, Bayreuth.
“Parsifal” - 1882, Bayreuth, based on the poem by W. Eschenbach.

1 - Here and below the typed italics the word refers the reader to the corresponding entry in the opera dictionary. Unfortunately, until the full text of the dictionary is published, it will not be possible to use such links.