Richard Wagner
- Known for
- Sound
- Born
- May 22, 1813
- Died
- February 13, 1883 (aged 69)
- Birthplace
- Leipzig, Germany
Biography
Wilhelm Richard Wagner (/ˈvɑːɡnər/; German: [ˈʁiçaʁt ˈvaːɡnɐ] (About this sound 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 later works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most opera composers, Wagner wrote both the libretto and the music for each of his stage works. 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. Famously, he is known for Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied. The four parts that constitute the Ring cycle are, in sequence: Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold) Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) Siegfried Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) 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).
Known For
Filmography
Green Scream
Movie · Music
A Corpse in Kensington
Movie · Songs
La Folle Journée de Nantes 2026
Movie · Original Music Composer
Concerto di Pasqua dal Duomo di Orvieto 2026
Movie · Original Music Composer
Daniele Gatti & Gautier Capuçon Wagner, Saint-Saëns, and Debussy
Movie · Original Music Composer
Richard Wagner: Lohengrin @ Baden-Baden Easter Festival 2026
Movie · Original Music Composer
Der fliegende Holländer - Wiener Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Rienzi - Bayreuther Festspiele
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Macht des Rings
Movie · Music
Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold @ Salzburg Easter Festival, Felsenreitschule 2026
Movie · Music
The Metropolitan Opera: Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Siegfried - Royal Ballet House
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tannhäuser - Wiener Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Götterdämmerung
Movie · Original Music Composer
Vienna Opera Gala With Elina Garança, Sonya Yoncheva, Benjamin Bernheim and Jonas Kaufmann
Movie · Original Music Composer
The New York Philharmonic Orchestra in Pyongyang Great moments in music
Movie · Original Music Composer
Klaus Florian Vogt sings Mozart, Wagner, and Strauss @ Château de Neuschwanstein 2025
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tabita Berglund and Julian Steckel
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: La Valchiria
Movie · Original Music Composer
Elīna Garanča - My Playlist
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Die Walküre - Royal Opera House
Movie · Original Music Composer
A Royal Overture Festival international de Colmar
Movie · Original Music Composer
Concerto di Pasqua dal Duomo di Orvieto 2024
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Richard Wagner: "Parsifal" Bayreuther Festspiele 2023
Movie · Music
Echo Sonata
Movie · Music
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Music
Maledictis
Movie · Music
Richard Wagner: Siegfried - Aus der Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Das Rheingold - Royal Opera House
Movie · Original Music Composer
New Year's Concert 2022 from the Teatro La Fenice
Movie · Music
Playing with Gods
Movie · Music
Siegfried (Longborough Opera Festival 2022)
Movie · Music
Richard Wagner - Die Götterdämmerung - Bayreuther Festspiele 2022
Movie · Music
Yo, Diablo
Movie · Music
Wagner - Das Rheingold (Deutsche Oper Berlin)
Movie · Music
Radio France Choir and Orchestra Poulenc, Wagner, Debussy & Fauré
Movie · Original Music Composer
Der fliegende Holländer
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Infinite Confinement
Movie · Music
The Metropolitan Opera: The Flying Dutchman
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Walküre - Metropolitan Opera
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tannhäuser
Movie · Original Music Composer
Götterdämmerung - Wiener Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Flying Dutchman: Teatro Real Madrid
Movie · Music
Lohengrin
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Binocle
Movie · Original Music Composer
Lohengrin
Movie · Original Music Composer
Parsifal - Bayerische Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Die Walküre
Movie · Original Music Composer
La Petite mort
Movie · Music
The Opera House
Movie · Music
Götterdämmerung - Wiener Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Bayreuther Festspiele
Movie · Original Music Composer
Parsifal - Wiener Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg - Bayerische Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tristan und Isolde - Metropolitan Opera
Movie · Original Music Composer
Roger D'Astous
Movie · Music
Richard Wagner - Lohengrin
Movie · Original Music Composer
Das Liebesverbot
Movie · Original Music Composer
Eifman Ballet: The Brothers Karamazov
Movie · Music
Lohengrin - Semperoper Dresden
Movie · Original Music Composer
Das Rheingold - Wiener Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Parsifal
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Ring of the Nibelung: The Rhinegold
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Ring of the Nibelung: The Valkyrie
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Ring of the Nibelung: Siegfried
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Ring of the Nibelung: Twilight of the Gods
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Metropolitan Opera: Tannhäuser
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tristan Und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Walküre - Wiener Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Parsifal - Wiener Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
Parsifal
Movie · Original Music Composer
Der fliegende Holländer - Royal Opera House
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tristan und Isolde - Wiener Staatsoper
Movie · Original Music Composer
This is Opera
TV · Music · 3 eps
Tannhäuser
Movie · Original Music Composer
Byeway
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Siegfried
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tannhäuser
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Metropolitan Opera
Movie · Original Music Composer
Das Rheingold - De Nationale Opera
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Walküre - De Nationale Opera
Movie · Original Music Composer
Siegfried - De Nationale Opera
Movie · Original Music Composer
Götterdämmerung - De Nationale Opera Amsterdam
Movie · Original Music Composer
Hitler und der Wagner Clan
Movie · Music
Wagner: Das Rheingold
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Die Walküre
Movie · Original Music Composer
Parsifal
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Götterdämmerung - Teatro alla Scala
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Colón Ring: The Rheingold
Movie · Music
The Colón Ring: The Valkyrie
Movie · Music
The Colón Ring: Siegfried
Movie · Music
The Colón Ring: Götterdämmerung
Movie · Music
Parsifal - Salzburger Osterfestspiele
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Movie · Original Music Composer
Parsifal
Movie · Music
Götterdämmerung
Movie · Original Music Composer
Parsifal
Movie · Original Music Composer
Siegfried
Movie · Original Music Composer
Lohengrin
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Metropolitan Opera: Die Walküre
Movie · Original Music Composer
Der fliegende Holländer
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Die Walküre
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Siegfried
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Götterdämmerung
Movie · Original Music Composer
Rienzi, der letzte der Tribunen
Movie · Original Music Composer
Das Rheingold
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tannhäuser
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Das Rheingold
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Walküre
Movie · Music
Lohengrin: Bayreuth Festival Opera
Movie · Music
The Met - Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Proust ou les Intermittences du cœur
Movie · Music
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Parsifal
Movie · Original Music Composer
A View from Space With Heavenly Music
Movie · Music
Das Rheingold
Movie · Original Music Composer
Siegfried
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Walküre
Movie · Original Music Composer
Götterdämmerung
Movie · Original Music Composer
Parsifal
Movie · Music
Götterdämmerung
Movie · Original Music Composer
Siegfried
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Walküre
Movie · Original Music Composer
Richard Wagner: Tannhäuser
Movie · Original Music Composer
Three Leaders
Movie · Original Music Composer
Das Rheingold
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tannhäuser
Movie · Music
Lider
Movie · Music
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Movie · Music
The Man Who Would Be Kubrick
Movie · Music
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Tannhäuser
Movie · Original Music Composer
Manhattan Murder Mystery
Movie · Music
Richard Wagner: Parsifal
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Ring Cycle: Siegfried
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Ring Cycle: Die Walkure
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Flying Dutchman
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Ring Cycle: Das Rheingold
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Ring Cycle: Gotterdammerung
Movie · Original Music Composer
Lohengrin
Movie · Original Music Composer
Das Rheingold
Movie · Original Music Composer
Götterdämmerung
Movie · Original Music Composer
Siegfried
Movie · Original Music Composer
Die Walküre
Movie · Original Music Composer
Mistress Berta Garlan
Movie · Music
Bludný Holanďan
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Movie · Music
Luis Buñuel: constructor de infiernos
Movie · Music
Lohengrin - Metropolitan Opera
Movie · Original Music Composer
Der fliegende Holländer
Movie · Original Music Composer
Agi, the Fury of Evil
Movie · Music
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Zizi
Movie · Music
Parsifal
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Metropolitan Opera - Wagner: Tannhäuser
Movie · Original Music Composer
Deer Hunting
Movie · Music
Siegfried - Bayreuther Festspiele
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Die Walküre
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Götterdämmerung
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Das Rheingold
Movie · Original Music Composer
Nosferatu the Vampyre
Movie · Music
Tannhäuser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg Castle
Movie · Original Music Composer
Wagner: Das Rheingold
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Greatest Love of All Time
Movie · Music
Adolf and Marlene
Movie · Original Music Composer
Her Return
Movie · Music
Der Fliegende Holländer
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde by Richard Wagner
Movie · Music
Ludwig
Movie · Music
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Ludwig – Requiem for a Virgin King
Movie · Music
The Fifteenth Spring
Movie · Music
Tristan and Isolde
Movie · Music
Tristan und Isolde
Movie · Original Music Composer
Ming Green
Movie · Music
The Little Chaos
Movie · Music
Patriotism
Movie · Music
One Man Band
Movie · Music
The Flying Dutchman
Movie · Original Music Composer
To Parsifal
Movie · Music
The Clock Stopped at Midnight
Movie · Music
Ludwig II
Movie · Music
The Evil Forest
Movie · Original Music Composer
Toscanini: The Television Concerts, Vol. 7: Wagner
Movie · Original Music Composer
Toscanini: The Television Concerts, Vol. 4: Mozart, Dvorak, Wagner
Movie · Original Music Composer
Toscanini: The Television Concerts, Vol. 1: Wagner
Movie · Original Music Composer
La verdadera victoria
Movie · Original Music Composer
Veinticuatro horas en la vida de una mujer
Movie · Music
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried
Movie · Original Music Composer
Lohengrin
Movie · Music