Richard Wagner was a German composer best known for his operas, including Der Ring des Nibelungen and Der fliegende Holländer. He developed techniques like leitmotifs, where recurring musical themes are associated with particular characters, ideas or plot elements. His operas also embodied his concept of Gesamtkunstwerk by synthesizing drama, music, staging and other elements into a unified work of art. The document then provides an excerpt from the overture and Act I of his opera Der fliegende Holländer.
2. Richard Wagner (1813-1883) German composer, wrote primarily operas: Der Ring des Nibelungen(The Ring of the Nibelungs)– a group of 4 operas based on Northern European mythology Der fliegendeHolländer(The Flying Dutchman) Tristan und Isolde http://www.wagneroperas.com/indexwagneroperas.html
3. Richard WagnerKey Terms Gesamtkunstwerk- "Total Artwork," the synthesis of all the arts (drama, music, staging and costume, acting) in one theatrical conception. Leitmotif (or leitmotiv) - a recurring theme linked with some aspect of a drama
7. Last part of the Overture and part of Act I The Flying Dutchman (der fliegenderHolländer)
Hinweis der Redaktion
Although this is not a course on 19th-century opera, understanding how Richard Wagner (1813-1883) conceived of the combination of music and drama will help us to understand how music was used in film.
Richard Wagner's musical style helped to shape the sounds of early film music, even up into the 1930s and 1940s. Some of the hallmarks of his style that your text points out are also used by later composers for film music
Listen for these styles in the following two clips from The Flying Dutchman (der fliegenderHolländer):
