Richard Wagner was born on 22 May 1813 in Leipzig. A German composer, conductor and theorist, Wagner transformed opera by treating it as a total work of art in which music, poetry and staging were unified. His mature works use leitmotifs, recurring musical themes linked to characters and ideas, and include The Flying Dutchman, Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger and the four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. With the support of King Ludwig II of Bavaria he built the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, where his works are still performed each summer. His harmonic daring influenced later music, while his antisemitic writings and the use of his work by the Nazis make his legacy controversial.
Before and after
- from 1813 to 1814Creek War
- from 1813 to 1814War of the Sixth Coalition
- 28 January 1813Publication of Pride and Prejudice
- 5 May 1813Birth of Søren Kierkegaard
- 22 May 1813Birth of Richard Wagner
- 21 June 1813Battle of Vitoria
- from 7 July 1813 to 8 September 1813Siege of San Sebastián
- 5 October 1813Battle of the Thames
- 10 October 1813Birth of Giuseppe Verdi
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1863Origins of Baháʼí Faith
- 26 November 1865Publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- 1871The Internationale
- from 1886 to 1905Rise of Post-impressionism
- 31 March 1889Construction of Eiffel Tower
- from 6 April 1896 to 15 April 18961896 Summer Olympics
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.