Exiled from Germany and its opera houses, he lived in Switzerland for twelve years, where he began work on his massive Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). Publishers were initially reluctant to support the Ring cycle, so he interrupted work on it to compose more manageable dramas such as Tristan und Isolde (1865) and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg, 1868).

The Bayreuth Festival features works by this composer:

Which term did Wagner use to describe compositions for the stage?

This term, literally meaning “total art work,” describes the unification of all the arts (poetry, music, acting, set design, etc.) for a single dramatic purpose.

This operatic term describes a melodic gesture associated with a person, object, or idea.

Which character sings the Liebestod?