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Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( VAHG-nər; German: [ˈʁɪçaʁt ˈvaːɡnɐ] (listen); 22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most opera composers, Wagner wrote both the libretto and the music for each of his stage works. Initially establishing his reputation as a composer of works in the romantic vein of Carl Maria von Weber and Giacomo Meyerbeer, Wagner revolutionised opera through his concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art"), by which he sought to synthesise the poetic, visual, musical and dramatic arts, with music subsidiary to drama. He described this vision in a series of essays published between 1849 and 1852. Wagner realised these ideas most fully in the first half of the four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung).

His compositions, particularly those of his later period, are notable for their complex textures, rich harmonies and orchestration, and the elaborate use of leitmotifs—musical phrases associated with individual characters, places, ideas, or plot elements. His advances in musical language, such as extreme chromaticism and quickly shifting tonal centres, greatly influenced the development of classical music. His Tristan und Isolde is sometimes described as marking the start of modern music.

Wagner had his own opera house built, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which embodied many novel design features. The Ring and Parsifal were premiered here and his most important stage works continue to be performed at the annual Bayreuth Festival, run by his descendants. His thoughts on the relative contributions of music and drama in opera were to change again, and he reintroduced some traditional forms into his last few stage works, including Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg).

Until his final years, Wagner's life was characterised by political exile, turbulent love affairs, poverty and repeated flight from his creditors. His controversial writings on music, drama and politics have attracted extensive comment – particularly, since the late 20th century, where they express antisemitic sentiments. The effect of his ideas can be traced in many of the arts throughout the 20th century; his influence spread beyond composition into conducting, philosophy, literature, the visual arts and theatre.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 22, 1813 (Leipzig), Died February 13, 1883 (Venice)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1896 - 1948

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 451-475 of 1202 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor CS-87010 12-in. 11/26/1934 Parsifal : Excerpts from Act 1 Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-87011 12-in. 11/26/1934 Parsifal : Excerpts from Act 1 Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-87015 12-in. 12/10/1934 Siegfried Frederick Jagel ; Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra, with tenor vocal solo composer  
Victor CS-87016 12-in. 12/10/1934 Siegfried Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-87017 12-in. 12/10/1934 Siegfried Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-87018 12-in. 12/10/1934 Siegfried Agnes Davis ; Frederick Jagel ; Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra, with vocal duet (soprano and tenor) composer  
Victor CS-87019 12-in. 12/10/1934 Siegfried Agnes Davis ; Frederick Jagel ; Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra, with soprano and tenor vocal solos composer  
Victor BVE-87591 10-in. 1/15/1935 Isolde's Liebestod Rose Bampton ; Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra ; Eugene Ormandy Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-87592 10-in. 1/15/1935 Isolde's Liebestod Rose Bampton ; Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra ; Eugene Ormandy Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor CVE-89258 12-in. 4/4/1935 Dreams S. Archer Gibson Organ solo composer  
Victor CVE-92837 12-in. 7/3/1935 Prelude to act 3 Boston Pops Orchestra ; Arthur Fiedler Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94624 12-in. 12/16/1935 Tristan und Isolde—Prelude—Liebesnacht—Liedestod Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94625 12-in. 12/16/1935 Tristan und Isolde—Prelude—Liebesnacht—Liedestod Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94626 12-in. 12/16/1935 Tristan und Isolde—Prelude—Liebesnacht—Liedestod Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94627 12-in. 12/16/1935 Tristan und Isolde—Prelude—Liebesnacht—Liedestod Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94628 12-in. 12/16/1935 Tristan und Isolde—Prelude—Liebesnacht—Liedestod Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94629 12-in. 12/16/1935 Tristan und Isolde—Prelude—Liebesnacht—Liedestod Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94644 12-in. 1/15/1936 Die Meistersinger : Overture Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94645 12-in. 1/15/1936 Die Meistersinger : Overture Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94646 12-in. 1/15/1936 Die Meistersinger : Overture Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94651 12-in. 1/15/1936 Tannhäuser : Prelude to act 3 Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94652 12-in. 1/15/1936 Tannhäuser : Prelude to act 3 Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94653 12-in. 1/15/1936 Tannhäuser : Prelude to act 3 Philadelphia Orchestra ; Leopold Stokowski Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94657 12-in. 2/8/1936 Götterdämmerung New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra composer  
Victor CS-94658 12-in. 2/8/1936 Götterdämmerung New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra composer  
(Results 451-475 of 1202 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wagner, Richard," accessed June 14, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102472.

Wagner, Richard. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 14, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102472.

"Wagner, Richard." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 14 June 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102472

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