Wagner

I've just realised I've never heard any of Wagner's music, besides "The Ride of the Valkyries" - which I love; and some of his opera - which I couldn't stand.

Any recommendations? Preferably not opera..? :D

A lot of Wagner's music that is FROM opera doesn't necessary sound like opera, so I think you're safe. ;)

In fact, the overtures and finale's to many of Wagner's opera are played AS concert pieces, as seen in the Death and Funeral March I have below.

If you listen to this first it is a call played by the actor on the stage, but the real hornist sneaks backstage to play it....

Siegfried's Call

You might now have a slightly better understanding of this, since it has to do with Siegfriend, it involves some of the same material in the climax. This is kinda funny because Mr. Tennstedt's (London Phil's conductor at the time) stand falls at 5:49, sounding like a gunshot, but he really keeps his cool about it. Too bad we don't get to hear the Wagner tubas out loud and independent, they're just in the thick of things.

[youtube=E23DFKIL65I]Siegfried's Death and Funeral March

G

I don't think Wagner wrote anything but opera. My teacher once told me that he was totally unable to write anything besides opera because he could only write program music. That doesn't make him less great, however!

If you don't like opera now....Wagner would be a good place to start!

Ahem...

Piano:

Sonata in Bb (1831);

Lied ohne Worte (1840);

Album Sonata in Ab (1853);

Albumbl

Thanks very much for the recommendations James, 'tis most appreciated :)

I absolutely loved the Death and Funeral March, 5:01 onwards was truley awesome.

Again, thanks a lot :happy:

What's Wagner's best piece? I once saw the quote "listen to Wagner; if it doesn't put you to sleep, it'll put you into a coma" and from listening to his operatic stuff i must say i agree. Does he do any good orchestral/organ works?

Thanks,

What's Wagner's best piece? I once saw the quote "listen to Wagner; if it doesn't put you to sleep, it'll put you into a coma" and from listening to his operatic stuff i must say i agree. Does he do any good orchestral/organ works?

Thanks,

I'm sure Berlioz (our one ;)) said that actually - shall try and find out.

Yep: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/still-cant-sleep-11760-2.html#post189791 :D

I think the best opera to "start out" with Wagner is the "Meistersinger". Well, it is an opera of course, but quite easy to get into without being a Wagnerian. And great music!

It was the first Wagner opera I attended too.

Wagner never wrote OPERA,

He wrote MUSIC DRAMAS

Oh, snap...

He's dead, so he can't do anything against us calling it operas! Opera, opera, opera! Take that, Wagner!

Apart from the Ring cycle, I would also definitely recommend Parsifal, which contains some of Wagner's most sublime and most beautiful music.

What's Wagner's best piece? I once saw the quote "listen to Wagner; if it doesn't put you to sleep, it'll put you into a coma" and from listening to his operatic stuff i must say i agree. Does he do any good orchestral/organ works?

Thanks,

I could be wrong, but I don't think Wagner ever wrote anything for the organ. The concept of an "organ piece" seems sort of anti-Wagnerian to me, in fact. Most of his works, especially his mid to late works (and all of his major works) are programmatic. He wrote a C major symphony as a young Beethovenian, and a handful of early piano sonatas, but nothing of any real note, in my opinion.

His best and most famous purely orchestral work is probably the Siegfried Idyll (which of course is recommended), but most of my favorite Wagner pieces are orchestral excerpts from the operas. There are a lot of Wagner Overtures & Preludes CDs out there: I'd recommend the ones to Tristan, Tannhauser, Rienzi, Parsifal, Meistersinger and Lohengrin especially to start out. The preludes in Der Ring probably beat all these, but they're harder to isolate since they go right into the singing.

Wagner hated it when people listened to only the orchestral excerpts from his operas (like the ride of the walkure for example) because he thought people wouldn't be able to grasp the overarching theme and emotion of his drama.

So after you've listened to the overtures and preludes and got yourself acquainted with Wagner, I would suggest purchasing the whole opera and listen to the whole thing act by act with summary and libretto in front of you. You can even purchase DVDs as well, if you want the visuals.

I think the Flying Dutchman is the best to start with. He wrote Rienzi before, but even he discarded it calling an amature work. Dutchman has alot of influence from Weber's Der Freischutz, which means it's a total german romantic opera. I would leave the ring cycle, tristan, and parsifal to the last because they are probably the most complex and difficult to grasp.