Wagner Musical Dramas

Musical Dramas (Der Ring des Nibelungen, Tristan Und Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Parsifal)

Composer: Richard Wagner

Date of Publication: 1852-82

Throughout his prolific and controversial career as a composer, Wagner became synonymous with opera. He was raised as a composer, director, and sophist, so it’s no wonder that he excelled in his theatrical compositions. He even wrote the librettos, which he called poems, to accompany all of his operatic music, which at the time, was unheard of. However, contrary to his fame today, Wagner had a turbulent time entering the operatic scene -- He rarely finished an opera in the first 30 years of his life, and his uncompleted works were often performed with terrible reception or only long after he had died. But eventually, Rienzi, an opera composed in 1842, hit the mark and was met with less disdain. After Rienzi, Wagner entered a 10 year stretch during the 1840s where significant changes were made to his style, introducing more romantic and emotional themes in the orchestra and paving the way for his most influential pieces: the Musical Dramas. In his book published in 1851, titled “Oper und Drama” (Opera and Drama), Wagner adamantly advocated for his later operatic works to be titled dramas, or better known as musical dramas today. In said dramas, Wagner paid homage to the classical golden-age Greek dramas. He wanted to encapsulate the classical greek themes of human desire and their mythos via atmospheric music and leitmotifs, or motifs established by his poetic librettos, followed by a development within the orchestra. His musical dramas included 4 operas: Der Ring des Nibelungen, Tristan Und Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Parsifal.

Der Ring des Nibelungen was Wagner’s first musical opera, composed in 1852 and is widely regarded as his masterpiece. However, it wouldn’t be until 1876 until it was premiered. It consists of 4 acts, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung and emulates tales from Norse mythology.

Tristan Und Isolde, composed in 1859, is a tragic story about two lovers based on the romance Tristan and Iseult. It stands out significantly among Wagner’s operas because it marks the shift from classical music’s emphasis on structure, harmony, and tonality, to dissonance.

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, composed in 1867 follows the story of 16th century Nuremerg and their Master Singers’ contests. It thematically approaches the conflict between tradition (in song) and creative liberty and is Wagner’s longest opera, taking 4.5 hours to play without any breaks.

Parsifal, composed in 1882, marks Wagner’s last opera and was inspired by Christian mythology and Percival’s quest for the Holy Grail. Parsifal is one of Wagner’s most complex pieces, especially due to its confusing libretto and is notable for its apparent lack of formal structure.

Fun Fact: Wagner’s works were common topics within literature, ranging from Nietszche’s critique to Cather’s short story, “A Wagner Matinee”.