Richard Wagner, the composer, was born in Leipzig in 1813 and was the acknowledged son of Carl Friedrich Wagner, though he was apparently fathered by actor Ludwig Geyer.
Composer Biography
Wagner's career was turbulent, marked by constant attention from creditors, political suspicions, and selfish unscrupulousness in his relationships with women.
Compositional Technique
Wagner's romantic opera Lohengrin makes use of leitmotifs, which are leading musical motifs associated with specific ideas or characters in the drama.
Performer Biography
Gerard Schwarz, the conductor, served as Music Director of the Seattle Symphony for 26 acclaimed years and is known for his interpretations of 19th-century German, Austrian, and Russian repertoire.
Performer Biography
Alessandra Marc, the soprano on this recording, has performed at major opera houses worldwide, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and regularly sings roles like Sieglinde and Brünnhilde.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Wagner was driven by an aggressive urge to create a new form of music, the "music of the future," which involved combining all arts in great music dramas.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at the Seattle Opera House in Seattle, Washington, with different tracks recorded on October 21, 1987, and February 19 and 20, 1992.
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