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Richard Wagner

'Tristan Und Isolde,' The Love Story That Changed Opera For Good

Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld and his wife Malwina were Wagner's original Tristan and Isolde in 1865. Joseph Albert/Wikimedia Commons hide caption

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Joseph Albert/Wikimedia Commons

Deceptive Cadence

'Tristan Und Isolde,' The Love Story That Changed Opera For Good

Wagner's epic meditation on love turns 150. Projected on a cosmic level, the music triggered a seismic shift in Western music.

Hear William Berger Discuss 'Tristan und Isolde'

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High Notes And Clams: The Best And Worst Of Classical 2013

Sarah Joy Miller as Anna Nicole Smith in Anna Nicole by Mark-Anthony Turnage, the final production from the New York City Opera, which closed its doors for good this fall. Stephanie Berger hide caption

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Stephanie Berger

Deceptive Cadence

High Notes And Clams: The Best And Worst Of Classical 2013

A beloved conductor made a triumphant return, an opera singer took a stand and Walt Disney was reanimated by Philip Glass. It was quite a year in classical music, which also brought the closing of a prominent opera company and the continued silence of a major orchestra.

The Self-Help Guide To Wagner

Richard Wagner was a larger than life figure, and his innovations as a composer changed Western music forever. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Music Interviews

The Self-Help Guide To Wagner

The mere mention of Richard Wagner's name can be a lightning rod for controversy. Wagner the man was a scoundrel, but his music was far ahead of its time. Wagner biographer William Berger joins NPR's Lisa Simeone for an overview of the artist and his groundbreaking music.

The Self-Help Guide To Wagner

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Gods And Monsters: 5 Unforgettable Wagner Moments

The Valkyries, led by Brunnhilde (soprano Debra Voigt, lower left), are the warrior maidens of Richard Wagner's epic Ring cycle. Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera hide caption

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Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

Deceptive Cadence

Gods And Monsters: 5 Unforgettable Wagner Moments

For the 200 anniversary of Richard Wagner's birth, William Berger, author of Wagner Without Fear, guides us through five of his favorite Wagner moments — musical episodes that keep the composer's extraordinary dramas in our lives today.

William Berger on 'Parsifal'

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Extreme Drama: The Life And Music Of Richard Wagner

Rudolph Cronau's drawing of Wagner's opera house, Bayreuth, flanked by his birthplace (left) and place of death. Wikimedia Commons hide caption

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Wikimedia Commons

Deceptive Cadence

Extreme Drama: The Life And Music Of Richard Wagner

Marking the 200th anniversary of the controversial composer's birth, conductor Marin Alsop and friends rethink Wagner in a series of multimedia concerts.

Extreme Drama: The Life And Music Of Richard Wagner

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Jonas Kaufmann On Wagner: 'It's Like A Drug Sometimes'

Tenor Jonas Kaufmann. Petra Stadler/courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Petra Stadler/courtesy of the artist

Deceptive Cadence

Jonas Kaufmann On Wagner: 'It's Like A Drug Sometimes'

Described as the greatest living Wagnerian tenor, Kaufmann is using the Richard Wagner's bicentennial to reacquaint listeners with the controversial composer's work.

Jonas Kaufmann On Wagner: 'It's Like A Drug Sometimes'

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Storms And Salvation: 'The Flying Dutchman'

Wagner's stormy one-acter requires lead singers with great power, both dramatically and vocally. Alan Held and Jennifer Wilson fit the bill in this turbulent opera focused on one of Wagner's favorite themes: the redemptive power of love. From the Washington National Opera.

Washington National Opera on World of Opera -- 'La Boheme'

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Prelude to an Epic: Wagner's 'Das Rheingold'

Das Rheingold, the "Preliminary Evening" to Wagner's epic Ring cycle, is a 160-minute spectacle that flies by in a flash, introducing vivid worlds where gods, giants and dwarves all vie for ultimate power.

Washington National Opera on World of Opera -- 'Das Rheingold'

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Music Interviews

Chicago Symphony Tops U.S. Orchestras

The city of Chicago has one more thing to boast about: Its hometown orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, has been named America's top orchestra in a new critics' poll published in the venerable British magazine Gramophone.

Chicago Symphony Tops U.S. Orchestras

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Music Interviews

Insults And Praise On The Classical Campaign

Commentator Miles Hoffman offers a classical variation on a political theme: insults and endorsements among the great composers. Invectives hurled at their colleagues and competitors were effective means of shaping public opinion. Whether positive, negative or the all-too-common flip-flop, classical-music criticism, just like political commentary, is little more than biased opinion in time.

Insults And Praise On The Classical Campaign

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Music News

Janice Baird Debuts in a Troubled 'Tristan'

The Metropolitan Opera's production of Tristan und Isolde has endured horrible luck since it opened earlier this month. But for understudy Janice Baird, the mishaps meant her Met debut, taking on the lead role in mid-performance.

Janice Baird Debuts in a Troubled 'Tristan'

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Music

New York Philharmonic Set for North Korea Show

The New York Philharmonic will perform Tuesday at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in Pyongyang, North Korea. The concert represents an historic occasion, as a prominent U.S. cultural institution visits an isolated nation.

New York Philharmonic Set for North Korea Show

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