Unit 8: Wagner and Die Walkure Flashcards
Birth/Death Dates
1813-1883
Family Background and Education
Born in Leipzig, Germany.
Grew up in an artistic environment.
Studied at St. Thomas School in Leipzig.
LMC: Early Years
1833-1842
Started as a chorus master, then became a music director. Gained conducting experience, but accumulated debt
First opera Die Feen was completed in 1834, but never performed in his lifetime.
Married singer and actress Planer
LMC: Dresden
1843-1849
Became a conductor at the court of Saxony in Dresden
Der fliegende Hollander and Tannhauser marked the beginning of the evolution of a new operatic style
LMC: Years of Exile
1849-1863
Forced to flee Dresden as a result of his political activism
Escaped to Zurich with the assistance of Franz Liszt
LMC: Munich, Bayreuth, Final Years
1864-1883
Tristan und Isolde was premiered in Munich
Composed Parsifal in 1882
V: Music Drama
Term used by Wagner to describe the combination of music and drama
Used to distinguish his operatic style with the traditional operas of his day
V: Gesamtkunstwerk
An ideal used by Wagner in his music dramas
Perfect union of text, music, and stagecraft
V: Leitmotif
A device used by Wagner in his music dramas
A melodic fragment that has meaning attached to it undergoes transformation as the opera unfolds
V: Chromatic Harmony
Extensive use of chromaticism
Often involves modulation to distant keys
Used for heightened expression in 19th-century music
V: Heldentenor
A male voice with a high range, possessing incredible strength and stamina
Musical Style and Contributions
Advocate of a “Music of the Future” that involved all elements of a production have equal status
Wrote his own librettos
Paid careful attention to language
His works require an expanded orchestra, often over 100 players
Had a big influence on successive generations of composers, including Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg
Genres and Titles
Die Feen, Tristan und Isolde, Parsifal
Die Walkure: Genre
Opera (music drama)
Die Walkure: Language
German
