Born: 22 May 1813 · Died: 13 February 1883 · Age at death: 69
How old was Richard Wagner when he died?
Richard Wagner died aged 69. He was born on 22 May 1813 and died on 13 February 1883.
German composer whose operas, including the four-part Ring cycle and Tristan and Isolde, transformed music drama
Did you know?He designed his own opera house in Bayreuth to ensure the acoustics were perfect for his complex and massive compositions.
Quick facts
Date of birth22 May 1813
Date of death13 February 1883
Age at death69
Cause of deathMyocardial infarction
NationalityGerman
BirthplaceLeipzig, Germany
Occupationcomposer, librettist, conductor
Editor's Take:
Wagner changed opera into something he called the 'total work of art', combining music, drama, poetry and staging into a single vision. His four-part Ring cycle takes around fifteen hours to perform and draws on Norse and German myths. He developed the idea of leitmotifs, short musical themes linked to characters or ideas, a technique still used in film music today. His music is admired for its power and innovation. However, his antisemitic writings and later popularity with the Nazis make him one of the most controversial figures in classical music.
Key Milestones
1843: The Flying Dutchman premieres in Dresden
1865: Tristan und Isolde premieres in Munich
1876: Opens the Bayreuth Festival with the Ring cycle
1882: Parsifal premieres at Bayreuth
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( VAHG-nər; German:; 22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor, best known for his operas, although his mature works are often referred to as music dramas.
