Richard Wagner
Sound
Wilhelm Richard Wagner (/ˈvɑːɡnər/; German: [ˈʁiçaʁt ˈvaːɡnɐ] (About this sound listen); 22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his later works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most opera composers, Wagner wrote both the libretto and the music for each of his stage works. He described this vision in a series of essays published between 1849 and 1852. Wagner realised these ideas most fully in the first half of the four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). His compositions, particularly those of his later period, are notable for their complex textures, rich harmonies and orchestration, and the elaborate use of leitmotifs—musical phrases associated with individual characters, places, ideas, or plot elements. His advances in musical language, such as extreme chromaticism and quickly shifting tonal centres, greatly influenced the development of classical music. His Tristan und Isolde is sometimes described as marking the start of modern music. Famously, he is known for Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied. The four parts that constitute the Ring cycle are, in sequence: Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold) Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) Siegfried Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) Wagner had his own opera house built, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which embodied many novel design features. The Ring and Parsifal were premiered here and his most important stage works continue to be performed at the annual Bayreuth Festival, run by his descendants. His thoughts on the relative contributions of music and drama in opera were to change again, and he reintroduced some traditional forms into his last few stage works, including Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg).
Known for
Sound160
movieDaniele Gatti & Gautier Capuçon Wagner, Saint-Saëns, and Debussy
2026
Original Music Composer
movieDer fliegende Holländer - Wiener Staatsoper
2026
Original Music Composer
movieRichard Wagner: Lohengrin @ Baden-Baden Easter Festival 2026
2026
Original Music Composer
movieConcerto di Pasqua dal Duomo di Orvieto 2026
2026
Original Music Composer
movieLa Folle Journée de Nantes 2026
2026
Original Music Composer
movieTabita Berglund and Julian Steckel
2025
Original Music Composer
movieTannhäuser - Wiener Staatsoper
2025
Original Music Composer
movieGötterdämmerung
2025
Original Music Composer
movieVienna Opera Gala With Elina Garança, Sonya Yoncheva, Benjamin Bernheim and Jonas Kaufmann
2025
Original Music Composer
movieThe New York Philharmonic Orchestra in Pyongyang Great moments in music
2025
Original Music Composer
movieKlaus Florian Vogt sings Mozart, Wagner, and Strauss @ Château de Neuschwanstein 2025
2025
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: La Valchiria
2025
Original Music Composer
movieElīna Garanča - My Playlist
2025
Original Music Composer
movieA Royal Overture Festival international de Colmar
2024
Original Music Composer
movieConcerto di Pasqua dal Duomo di Orvieto 2024
2024
Original Music Composer
movieEcho Sonata
2023
Music
movieMaledictis
2023
Music
movieYo, Diablo
2021
Music
movieRadio France Choir and Orchestra Poulenc, Wagner, Debussy & Fauré
2021
Original Music Composer
movieThe Metropolitan Opera: Die Walküre
2019
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Tristan und Isolde
2018
Original Music Composer
movieThe Binocle
2018
Original Music Composer
movieLohengrin
2018
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Die Walküre
2017
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Parsifal
2017
Music, Songs
movieThe Metropolitan Opera: Tristan und Isolde
2016
Original Music Composer
movieRichard Wagner - Lohengrin
2016
Original Music Composer
movieDas Liebesverbot
2016
Original Music Composer
movieThe Metropolitan Opera: Tannhäuser
2015
Original Music Composer
movieTristan Und Isolde
2015
Original Music Composer
tvThis is Opera
2015
Original Music Composer
movieTannhäuser
2014
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Götterdämmerung
2014
Original Music Composer
movieByeway
2014
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Siegfried
2014
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Die Walküre
2013
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Das Rheingold
2013
Original Music Composer
movieParsifal
2013
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
2012
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Siegfried
2011
Original Music Composer
movieParsifal
2011
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Die Walküre
2010
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Siegfried
2010
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Götterdämmerung
2010
Original Music Composer
movieDer fliegende Holländer
2010
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Das Rheingold
2009
Original Music Composer
movieTannhäuser
2009
Original Music Composer
movieDie Walküre
2008
Music
movieThe Met - Tristan und Isolde
2008
Original Music Composer
movieTristan und Isolde
2007
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Parsifal
2007
Original Music Composer
movieDas Rheingold
2006
Original Music Composer
movieSiegfried
2006
Original Music Composer
movieDie Walküre
2006
Original Music Composer
movieGötterdämmerung
2006
Original Music Composer
movieParsifal
2005
Music
movieRichard Wagner: Tannhäuser
2004
Original Music Composer
movieThree Leaders
2004
Original Music Composer
movieGötterdämmerung
2004
Original Music Composer
movieDie Walküre
2004
Original Music Composer
movieSiegfried
2004
Original Music Composer
movieDas Rheingold
2003
Original Music Composer
movieLider
2000
Music
movieTannhäuser
2000
Music
movieTristan und Isolde
1999
Original Music Composer
movieTristan und Isolde
1998
Original Music Composer
movieTristan und Isolde
1995
Original Music Composer
movieDie Meistersinger von Nürnberg
1995
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Tannhäuser
1994
Original Music Composer
movieRichard Wagner: Parsifal
1993
Original Music Composer
movieThe Ring Cycle: Siegfried
1992
Original Music Composer
movieThe Ring Cycle: Die Walkure
1992
Original Music Composer
The Flying Dutchman
1992
Original Music Composer
movieThe Ring Cycle: Das Rheingold
1991
Original Music Composer
movieThe Ring Cycle: Gotterdammerung
1991
Original Music Composer
movieGötterdämmerung
1990
Original Music Composer
movieDas Rheingold
1990
Original Music Composer
movieSiegfried
1990
Original Music Composer
movieDie Walküre
1990
Original Music Composer
movieLohengrin
1990
Original Music Composer
Bludný Holanďan
1989
Original Music Composer
movieLohengrin
1986
Original Music Composer
movieDer fliegende Holländer
1985
Original Music Composer
movieTristan und Isolde
1983
Original Music Composer
movieThe Metropolitan Opera - Wagner: Tannhäuser
1982
Original Music Composer
movieZizi
1982
Music
movieParsifal
1982
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Siegfried
1980
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Die Walküre
1980
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Götterdämmerung
1980
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Das Rheingold
1980
Original Music Composer
movieTannhäuser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg Castle
1978
Original Music Composer
movieWagner: Das Rheingold
1978
Original Music Composer
movieAdolf and Marlene
1977
Original Music Composer
movieHer Return
1975
Music
movieDer Fliegende Holländer
1975
Original Music Composer
movieTristan und Isolde
1973
Original Music Composer
movieLudwig
1973
Music
movieTristan und Isolde
1967
Original Music Composer
movieMing Green
1966
Music
moviePatriotism
1966
Music
movieTo Parsifal
1963
Music
movieLudwig II
1955
Music
movieToscanini: The Television Concerts, Vol. 7: Wagner
1951
Original Music Composer
movieThe Evil Forest
1951
Original Music Composer
movieToscanini: The Television Concerts, Vol. 4: Mozart, Dvorak, Wagner
1948
Original Music Composer
movieToscanini: The Television Concerts, Vol. 1: Wagner
1948
Original Music Composer
movieLa verdadera victoria
1944
Original Music Composer
movieDie Nibelungen: Siegfried
1924
Original Music Composer
movieGreen Scream
Music
Writing117
moviePlanet Arium
2025
Writer
movieGötterdämmerung
2025
Writer
movieGötterdämmerung
2024
Writer
movieSiegfried
2024
Writer
movieDie Walküre
2024
Writer
movieDas Rheingold
2024
Writer
movieRoyal Opera House 2023/24: Das Rheingold
2023
Lyricist, Writer
movieFirst Last Man
2022
Adaptation
movieParsifal
2021
Writer
movieLohengrin
2020
Writer
movieWagner: Parsifal
2017
Lyricist
movieTannhauser
2014
Writer
movieTannhäuser
2014
Writer
movieParsifal
2013
Writer
movieLohengrin
2011
Writer
movieParsifal
2011
Writer
movieParsifal
2011
Writer
movieDie Walküre
2008
Writer
movieLohengrin
2006
Writer
movieSiegfried
2006
Writer
movieDas Rheingold
2006
Writer
movieGötterdämmerung
2006
Writer
movieDie Walküre
2006
Writer
movieLohengrin
2006
Writer
movieParsifal
2005
Writer
movieGötterdämmerung
2004
Writer
movieDie Walküre
2004
Writer
movieSiegfried
2004
Writer
movieDas Rheingold
2003
Writer
movieTannhäuser
2000
Writer
movieGötterdämmerung
1990
Writer
movieDas Rheingold
1990
Writer
movieDie Walküre
1990
Writer
movieSiegfried
1990
Writer
movieLohengrin
1990
Writer
movieLohengrin
1986
Writer
movieParsifal
1982
Writer
movieThe Flying Dutchman
1964
Original Story
movieThe Evil Forest
1951
Original Story
movieTannhäuser
1913
Opera, Story
Crew5
Acting2
movieLohengrin
2019
Self - Composer
Hitler und der Wagner Clan
2013
Self (archive footage)
