Welcome to "WagnerOperas"
Welcome to the world of composer Richard Wagner. A towering figure of the 19th century, Wagner is best remembered for the operas he composed; works which changed the course of Western music, and the craft of theatrical staging.
This website is an examination of the life of this composer. It is a journey that will shed light on the man and his work, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned Wagnerite.
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I
Bayreuth 2016
Info about this year's Bayreuth Festival
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II
Buying Tickets to Bayreuth
How to attend the festival
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III
The Operas
An informative list of his works
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IV
Productions
Past and present historic stagings
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V
Wagnerians
Famous singers of yesteryear and today
The World of Richard Wagner and his works
Biography
Richard Wagner's life journeys from the heights of Romanticism to the movement's supreme crisis which he himself orchestrated. His life begins in 1813, in Leipzig.
Biography
The Operas
Richard Wagner's musical legacy rests with thirteen completed stage works. Of these, ten of them have remained in the repertory of all major opera houses around the world.
Operas
Productions
Wagner's works offer a production team a chance to stretch their imagination and present their personal interpretation of the composer's work to today's audiences.
Productions
Wagner during the Third Reich
On January 13, 1933 the newly-elected National Socialist Party celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Wagner's death by staging a grand memorial ceremony in Leipzig,
Third Reich
The Bayreuth Festival
This yearly ritual in this small Bavarian city started in 1876 when Wagner had the Festspielhaus built to his specifications in order to present Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Bayreuth Festival
Wieland Wagner: New Bayreuth
When the Bayreuth Festival re-opened in 1951 after World War II, Wagner's works found a new look thanks to his grandson, director Wieland Wagner.
New Bayreuth
Podcasts
A series of short audio programs dedicated to the life and work of Richard Wagner. Listen on your computer, or download them to your iPhone, iPod or your favorite tablet.
Podcasts
Wagnerians
The artists and conductors who possess the great talent and incredible stamina to perform some of the most difficult and lengthy roles in the vocal repertory.
Wagnerians
Wagner Links
Here you will find links to other websites with even more information about Richard Wagner. If you still yearn to find out more about him this is the place to go.
Links
CD Covers
A collection of CD covers for live Wagner performances taken from Internet broadcasts. These designs are not meant for any type of commercial distribution.
CD Covers
Set Design
Influenced by the imaginative approach to Wagner productions seen on stages around the world, I decided to try my hand at scenic design. Check out my creations here.
Set Design
Wagnerblog
Since February of 2005 I have kept the "Wagnerblog." It is a collection of essays about opera, art, culture and film. Feel free to subscribe to it if you enjoy my writing.
WagnerblogWagnerOperas NEWS: Von der Thannen is at it again
His sets and costumes turned Thuringia into a laboratory filled with rats in Hans Neuenfel's infamous 2010 staging of Lohengrin at the Green Hill. Now for the Salzburg Festival, Mr. von der Thannen has turned to Charles Gounod's beloved Faust, and given it a much-needed facelift while staying true to the themes of love and death, science and spirituality, and the human desire for meaning and transcendence. It's not like any Faust you have experienced before. Read my blog for a review of this production.