Richard Wagner

Biography

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a revolutionary German composer, conductor, and theorist primarily known for his operas, which he termed "music dramas". Unlike most opera composers, he wrote both the music and libretto for his stage works. He transformed theatrical and musical conceptions through his idea of the *Gesamtkunstwerk*, or 'total work of art', which sought to synthesize all artistic elements. His works, including the epic four-opera cycle 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' and the transformative 'Tristan und Isolde', are characterized by complex textures, rich chromaticism, and an elaborate use of leitmotifs. His innovations greatly influenced the course of Western music, and he even built his own opera house, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, to stage his works.