not turned far from the old channels. From 1830 to 1850 European society was in turmoil politically and intellectually. The time was ripe for a new voice in the musical drama. When just at this juncture Wagner began to utter the seething thoughts within him, it was at least evident that his was a new voice. Whether or not it was the voice of a master was for a long time not clear to the musical world. His advent and the discussions which it aroused at least forced a profound readjustment of musical values and judgments. Finally they effected a genuine reconstruction of the opera.
Richard Wagner (d. 1883) was born at Leipsic in 1813, the youngest of
nine children. His grandfather and father were petty civil officers, much
interested in the theatre. The father soon died, the mother speedily married
again, and the boy was then brought up at Dresden by his step-father, Ludwig
Geyer (d. 1821), an actor, poet and portrait-painter. He had good
schooling at the Kreuzschule, being eager for Greek, German poetry and the
tragic drama, but not caring much for music, though he did not escape the
impress of Weber. In 1827 the family moved back to Leipsic, where his
education continued at the gymnasium and from 1831 at the university. Contact
here with orchestral music, especially that of Beethoven, awakened
ardent musical ambition. Besides private study, he had lessons from C. G.
Müller (d. 1863), in 1829-38 conductor of the Euterpe concerts, later of
Altenburg, and also from Theodor Weinlig (d. 1842), the cantor of the
Thomasschule. He plunged into minute studies of Beethoven's symphonies,
and wrote a sonata, a polonaise and a symphony in classical style—the latter
given under Pohlenz at the Gewandhaus in 1833. He knew Dorn, but not
Schumann. In 1832 he visited Vienna and Prague, hoping to gain a hearing
for his symphony, and at Prague was courteously treated by Dionys Weber,
director of the conservatory. Only in his nineteenth year did he draft his first
dramatic libretto and write some fragments of the music. All his early
enthusiasm was for instrumental composition.
In 1833 Wagner was at Würzburg, becoming chorusmaster at the theatre where his brother was tenor. Here he wrote the opera Die Feen, an extravagantly romantic work, with which he returned to Leipsic. In 1834 he became conductor for a theatric troupe having headquarters at Magdeburg. He now sketched a second symphony and completed the tragic opera Das Liebesverbot, given with small success (1836). The troupe ended in bankruptcy. To the pretty actress Minna Planer, whom he followed to Königsberg, he was married late in 1836. The season 1836-7 was spent at Königsberg, entangled again with a failing troupe, but with negotiations for a vacancy at Riga. The only significant friendship here was with the Polish pianist Eduard Sobolewski (d. 1872). After some months at Dresden, he was named director at Riga, with a fair salary and a prospect of good support. Beginning there in 1837, he soon set to work upon the historical opera Rienzi and began sketches for Der fliegende Holländer. His duties included some orchestral concerts,
