GRMUS H656 — Selected Operas of Richard Wagner

2 credits
Fall
John J.H. Muller

 

Richard Wagner was one of the most influential composers in the history of music, and both he and his words continue to be a source of fascination and controversy. After a brief survey of Wagner’s accomplishment in his earlier operas, climaxing with Lohengrin, this course will focus on his mature works: a “Ring” opera, Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger, and Parsifal. These music dramas will be studied from a variety of perspectives, including Wagner’s use of myth and legend, the handling of leitmotifs, advances in the harmonic language, and the compositional process. Wagner’s deep insight into the psychology of his characters will also be explored. Pertinent biographical information will be included, especially with regard to the creation of the festival theater in Bayreuth. The works will be considered in both the context of 19th-century German culture and our own. The history of productions, from Wagner’s own time to the postwar neo-Bayreuth style to today’s Regietheater, will also be treated.