Monday 3 December 2012

December 3: Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner, 22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883

German composer, made infamous by Adolf Hitler and ilk that made him up to something he was not, or was he really the first Nazi. Of course that Richard Wagner, like many German intellectuals of his era had written negatively about Jews. Himmler and SS liked the German history of the Wagner operas but they went all out and created a fake German history and mythology.

Yet, he is just an opera composer. He was more, he also wrote his own libretti.

Wagner was an egomaniac and care mostly about himself. Still, his operas are worth listening, too. Wagner's Ring cycle with 4 operas was used in Nazi mythology but Wagner was dead by then. Parsifal and story of the Grale was also used. Abused.

I am a Verdi fan, not Wagner. I may never buy the whole Ring, unless Placido Domingo does it all, then maybe...

LOHENGRIN
Wagner - Lohengrin / Abbado, Domingo, Lloyd, Studer, Vienna State Opera (1990)

Wagner: Lohengrin [Box Set]



AND 

AGNES BALTSA as VENUS & PLACIDO DOMINGO as Tannhäuser 
=
WONDERFUL

4 Wagner operas live for me

Wagner: 4
01Der fliegende Holländer 1989-04-27
01Lohengrin 2005-12-03
01Parsifal 2002-01-13 
01Die Walküre 1999-05-13



For reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.co

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