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Who was one of the world's most influential and controversial
composers of the 19th century famous for both his epic operas,
including the four-part, 18-hour Ring Cycle,
as well as for his anti-semantic writings?

   Richard Wagner
   Giuseppi Verde
   Ludwig van Beethoven
   Gustav Mahler

Your answer was: Richard Wagner.
You are correct!!


Answer: Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was one of the world's most influential — and controversial — composers. He is famous for both his epic operas as well as for his anti-semantic writings, which, posthumously, made him a favorite of Adolf Hitler. There is evidence that Wagner's music was played at the Dachau concentration camp to "re-educate" the prisoners.

Wagner's first two operas of The Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, were presented in Munich in 1869 and 1870. The Ring Cycle was finally performed in its entirely—all 18 hours—in 1876. Wagner completed his last opera, Parsifal, in January 1882, and it was performed at the Bayreuth Festival that same year.

Wagner had a tumultuous love life, which involved several scandalous affairs. He died of a heart attack in Venice on February 13, 1883.

CLICK HERE to view a short biography on
'Richard Wagner'
on Biography.com



Wilhelm Richard Wagner
Bicentennial of Birth
1538 (2013)