Richard Wagner
German composer, theatre director, and conductor renowned for his revolutionary operas and concept of Gesamtkunstwerk.
Born in Leipzig, Wagner became one of the most influential figures in Western music. His major works include the epic four-opera cycle 'Der Ring des Nibelungen'. Facing political exile after the 1849 Dresden uprising, he later found patronage from King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Wagner founded the Bayreuth Festival Theatre, dedicated exclusively to his works.
- Wagner fled Germany in 1849 for involvement in socialist uprisings, living in Switzerland for over a decade under a death sentence.
- His affair with Mathilde Wesendonck during his marriage to Minna Planer inspired the opera 'Tristan und Isolde'. He later married Franz Liszt's daughter, Cosima.
- Wagner's virulent anti-Semitism, expressed in essays like 'Das Judenthum in der Musik', later made his music controversial due to Nazi appropriation.
- King Ludwig II rescued Wagner from financial ruin in 1864, funding his extravagant lifestyle and the construction of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.
- He died suddenly of a heart attack in Venice at age 69, while working on essays about racial purity.
