WAGNER, WILHELM RICHARD

(1813-83), Ger. dramatic composer; b. Leipzig, d. suddenly at Venice. An atmosphere of the theater pervaded the family circle, and his first interests were purely dramatic. Awakening to musical sense, he wrote several things now without value; and in 1834 entered on @ series of engagements as operatic conductor, which included Magdeburg, Konigsberg, and Riga. He conceived the idea of writing a grand opera, and went to Paris with Rienzi, only to have it declined. He had m. by this time and was in the direst straits of poverty. Rienzi was accepted for Dresden, where he went, 1842, as conductor of the opera, and where, next year, The Flying Dutchman was produced. From that time onwards W. and his music were subjects of heated discu ion throughout musical Europe, his ideas of opera being conceived on entirely new lines. Tannhauser, Lohengrin, Tristan and Isolde, The Mastersingers, The Nibel "s Ring (a colo al work, including the four dramas of The Rhine gold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, and The Dusk of the Gods} and Parsifal followed in the order named, 1849-82. In 1864, Ludwig, the ‘mad king’ of Bavaria, provided him with a home and an income; and presently the festival theater at Bayreuth, where ideal fade formances of his great operas could be given, became po ible. He created an entirely new form of opera. Hitherto opera had been conventional, designed for displaying ‘star’ vocalists, pretty costumes, and seenery. Text and music had no nece ary connection; and the librettos were often either absurd or unintelligible. With W. (who wrote all his own librettos), text, music, action, and scenery must unite in a common purpose, so that the drama shouid stand or fall as one piece. Again, there must be no mere artificial set of arias, ducts, quartets, ballets, ensembles, and 80 on, with breaks for applause or encores. W. also made an e ential feature of the ‘leading motive’—a short, striking, and easily recognized musical phrase, a ociated with some particular character or some special idea or incident in the drama. In all these respects he has influenced later composers of grand opera.