One of the most controversial composers in history was Richard Wagner. Many people love his music, and hear it as lush, sophisticated and way ahead of its time. Others think it sounds overstuffed and bombastic. And still other people respect his music, but dislike Wagner anyway because of his personal beliefs, which many claim were bigoted. Whatever you believe about Wagner, however, it’s clear that he is one of the most influential people in the history of music.

 

Wagner almost exclusively wrote operas, and his operas were like nothing else that had been written before. His idea was to create a work of art that was music, theater, poetry, philosophy and visual art all at once. The sets and lighting that he wanted were so complicated that he had to build his own theater, in the German town of Bayreuth, because no theater in the world could accommodate them. Wagner’s theater is still there, and every year his fans meet there to see his operas performed.

 

Wagner’s most famous work is a mammoth cycle of four operas called “The Ring of the Nibelung”. If all four parts were performed in one day, it would take nearly 14 hours!