Wagner Chose to Call His Works for the Stage Instead of Opera Music Creations

Wagner Chose to Call His Works for the Stage Instead of Opera Music Creations
Why did Wagner choose to call his works for the stage “music dramas” instead of operas? There are a few possible explanations.

Introduction

Richard Wagner is one of the most controversial and influential figures in the history of Western music. A German composer, conductor, theatre director and essayist, Wagner’s operas and music dramas transformed the course of musical history. His works are some of the most performed in the standard repertoire today. But what exactly did Wagner mean when he called his works “music dramas” rather than operas?

In this article, we’ll explore Wagner’s reasons for this choice of terminology and look at how his approach to composition differed from that of other opera composers of his time. We’ll also consider how Wagner’s ideas about musical drama have influenced subsequent generations of composers.

What is an Opera?

An opera is a type of musical theatre where the action is carried out by singers and musicians, with very little or no spoken dialogue. It originated in Italy in the 16th century, and has since spread throughout the world.

Operas are usually based on stories with a tragic or dramatic plot, and often include elements of comedy and tragedy. The music in an opera is specially composed to fit the story, and is often accompanied by orchestra. Opera singers must be able to sing very powerfully to be heard over the music.

What is Wagner’s opera?

Wagner’s opera is a type of German opera that was created by composer Richard Wagner. Wagner’s opera is different from other types of opera because it is not based on already existing works, but rather consists of original music that is meant to be a part of a larger dramatic work. Wagner’s operas are typically much longer than other operas, and often have controversial subject matter.

Why did Wagner choose to call his works for the stage instead of opera?

Wagner is often credited with being the father of modern opera, and while it is true that he was a major innovator in the genre, he actually preferred to call his works for the stage “Musikdramen” (music dramas). He felt that the word “opera” was too closely associated with the lightweight Italian fare of his day, and that it did not adequately describe his more ambitious concept of combining music, drama, and stagecraft into a single art form.

Conclusion

Wagner wanted to create a new type of musical drama that was different from what had come before. He believed that music could express more than just the emotions of the characters in a story; it could also express the ideas and thoughts of the composer. To Wagner, music was not just a symphony or an opera; it was a tool that could be used to convey a message to the audience.

While Wagner is best known for his operas, he actually spent more time working on his other musical dramas, such as The Ring Cycle and Parsifal. In addition to being longer and more complex than traditional operas, these works were also designed to be performed in a special theatre that Wagner built himself, called the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.

While some people may not like Wagner’s music, there is no denying that he was a revolutionary composer who changed the way we think about opera.