MI:
LIBRARY: PEOPLE:
WAGNER
Wilhelm Richard Wagner
May 22, 1813 -to- Feb. 13, 1883
Although he was a poor scholar, the musical influence in Wagner’s family is
perhaps what encouraged him to instruct himself at the piano, and in composing.
He eventually applied to another school where he lived just as wildly but always
remained rather serious when it came to composing. After learning from the works
of other musical masters (for example, Beethoven) a symphony of his was performed
locally, following which, he left the university in 1833.
After serving as an operative coach, Wagner would go on to conduct a
provincial theatrical troupe, one of whose actresses, Wilhelmine Planer, he
would marry in 1836. After a disaster in with his second opera, he went to Paris
where he would suffer continued failure and poverty only until 1842 with the successful
first performance of his latest opera, Rienzi. Although the following opera
would be much less popular, he was appointed conductor of the court opera where
he served until 1849.
His next opera, Lohengrin, would not be performed immediately. This was due
to proposals, made by Wagner, which suggested the replacing of the court as the
controller of the opera. This proposal would initiate Wagner’s participation
in the German revolution, something which would later allow a warrant for his
arrest.
Upon hearing this, Wagner fled Germany and missed the first performance of
Lohengrin, which was taken care of by Liszt, a dear friend to Wagner. In exile,
not only would Wagner carry out an affair with a rich patron leading to the
separation of his existing marriage, but he was also not to present any new
works. He spent his time composing and conducting until he returned from exile
and went to Vienna.
In Vienna he would slowly create for himself, a financial disaster which he
fled from to avoid imprisonment and was saved when an old friend who was now a
King hired him. While working for the King he would fall in love with the wife
of Hans von Bülow, known as a great Wagner conductor. Bülow’s wife would go
on to divorce him and marry Wagner in the same year. It should be noted that she
was also the daughter of Wagner’s friend, Liszt. After much more success,
Wagner died of heart failure and was buried famous in a tomb he had prepared.
