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Wagner's admirers and his critics. Conscious of this, he therefore wrote "A Communication to my
Friends" intending it as a preface to the librettos, explaining the evolution of his ideas and the reason for these discrepancies. 'I was burning to write Something that should take the message of my tortured brain, and speak it in a fashion to be understood by present life'. Wagner wrote to his friend
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164:. Wagner proceeds to condemn the majority of modern artists, in painting and in music, as 'feminine the world of art close fenced from Life, in which Art plays with herself.' Where however the impressions of Life produce an overwhelming 'poetic force', we find the 'masculine, the generative path of Art'.
159:
The essay begins with an analysis of contemporary art-tastes, which Wagner castigates. Due to the materialism of the public 'only such artists can work in harmony with the present public taste as either imitate the monuments of the past, or stamp themselves as servants of the mode ; but both are, in
141:
However, Wagner was very conscious that his concept of opera had significantly moved on since writing these works, to the extent that they hardly met – and in some aspects fell a long way short of – the standards and principles he had set out in "Opera and Drama". This provoked comment amongst both
80:, he had at first little prospect of getting it performed, or of furthering his career as a composer. During the period 1849–51 he in fact wrote hardly any music, instead concentrating on writing a series of essays in which he expounded his ideas about music and the future of opera. These included "
172:
The remainder of the essay traces the writer's artistic development hand-in-glove with his life story, confirming Wagner's identification of himself as one who wrings Art from Life, i.e. 'masculine', rather than a 'feminine' artistic freeloader. Admitting that with the early
183:'I became, myself, the artistic modeller of a 'stuff' that lay before me only in the blunt and simple outlines of Folk-Saga' Gradually, working to the forms of myth as he perceived them, in subsequent operas, Wagner begins to remodel the idea of opera.
246:. He explains how he intends to apply his new techniques of opera to this libretto. After relating his disastrous visit to Paris in 1849, he gives credit to his 'wondrous friend',
211:, had plainly shown me what I must set before them if I sought to please. I completely undeceived their expectations; they left the theatre, after the first performance of
160:
very truth, no artists at all'. Art is only to be drawn from 'life itself', and the only one of the arts which can meet his criteria for 'the warm-appealing Art-work' is
275:. The object of this production I shall consider thoroughly attained, if I and my artistic comrades, the actual performers, shall within these four evenings succeed in
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195:, &c.; but the omission of these forms followed from the very nature of the Stuff, with whose intelligible presentment to the Feeling I had alone to do.'
56:"A Communication to my Friends" was written at a period which was turbulent even in the context of Wagner's very eventful life. Having been forced to flee
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215:, in a confused and discontented mood. - The feeling of utter loneliness in which I now found myself, quite unmanned me. My
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of Wagner's three most recent operas, (all of which had been written, as was normal with Wagner, by the composer himself);
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At a specially-appointed
Festival, I propose, some future time, to produce those three Dramas with their Prelude,
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to the court, and the production took place there in 1850. In the wake of this it was proposed to publish the
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I propose to produce my myth in three complete dramas, preceded by a lengthy
Prelude (Vorspiel).
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more. As I have no wish to invent an arbitrary title for my works, I will call them Dramas
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Wagner unfortunately found that his audiences were not willing to follow where he led them:
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44:, published in 1851, in which he sought to justify his innovative concepts on the future of
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74:. He had no regular income and, although he had completed the score of his opera
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This is his first public announcement of the form of what would become the
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of spectators who shall have gathered together expressly to learn it.
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235:(the draft for which was published after his death), and his libretto
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187:'I by no means set out to destroy the prevailing operatic forms of
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28:", usually referred to in English by its translated title (from
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456:. "A Communication to My Friends" is on pp. 269–392.
228:
Wagner refers to some of his projects, including a drama
277:
artistically conveying my purpose to the true
Emotional
66:
at the Opera House, following his involvement with the
48:
in general, and his own proposed works in particular.
219:
had appealed to a handful of intimate friends alone.
459:Wagner, Richard, tr. William Ashton Ellis (1995),
444:Wagner, Richard, tr. William Ashton Ellis (1994),
179:'I had it mind only to write an "opera" ', with
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864:Das Judenthum in der Musik (Jewishness in Music)
223:
167:
154:
1307:List of films using the music of Richard Wagner
1208:
476:Richard Wagner's Letters to his Dresden Friends
250:, for standing by him and undertaking to stage
203:The public, by their enthusiastic reception of
273:in the course of three days and a fore-evening
1297:International Association of Wagner Societies
908:
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324:Wagner (1890), 112, letter of August(?) 1850
474:Wagner, Richard, tr. J. S. Shedlock (1890)
446:The Art Work of the Future, and other works
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239:(which was eventually to evolve into the
1437:Autobiographical works by Richard Wagner
146:of the essay 'This is a decisive work!'
15:
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461:Jesus of Nazareth, and other writings
70:of 1849, he lived in exile, based in
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13:
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973:Männerlist größer als Frauenlist
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207:and their cooler welcome of the
26:Eine Mitteilung an meine Freunde
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1368:Richard Wagner Museum, Lucerne
724:Die Meistersinger von NĂĽrnberg
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96:" (1850) and the book-length "
1:
857:A Communication to My Friends
224:Wagner's plans for the future
168:Wagner's artistic development
155:Wagner's critique of the arts
51:
34:A Communication to My Friends
106:however offered to premiere
7:
1107:Houston Stewart Chamberlain
1064:Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
524:List of works for the stage
149:
10:
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781:Das Liebesmahl der Apostel
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257:Finally Wagner announces:
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1079:Richard Wagner Foundation
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843:The Artwork of the Future
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90:The Artwork of the Future
1442:Essays by Richard Wagner
953:Die Laune des Verliebten
432:Wagner (1994) 391 and n.
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1358:Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis
1318:Nietzsche contra Wagner
1252:Richard Wagner Memorial
1247:Richard Wagner Monument
641:Der Ring des Nibelungen
589:Der fliegende Holländer
261:I shall never write an
181:Der fliegende Holländer
125:Der fliegende Holländer
1069:Bayreuth Festspielhaus
463:, Lincoln and London.
448:, Lincoln and London.
285:
221:
197:
21:
20:Richard Wagner in 1855
1330:The Perfect Wagnerite
924:Ride of the Valkyries
850:Autobiographic Sketch
396:Wagner (1994), 359–60
259:
201:
185:
19:
529:List of compositions
405:Wagner (1994) 363–82
60:, where he had been
1262:Wagner Ice Piedmont
1166:Cultural depictions
1157:Eva Wagner-Pasquier
983:Wieland der Schmied
885:Music of the Future
761:Symphony in C major
414:Wagner (1994) 382–4
378:Wagner (1994) 336–7
360:Wagner (1994) 362–3
279:(not the Critical)
94:Jewishness in Music
36:", is an extensive
1342:Der Ring in Minden
1284:The Case of Wagner
1043:Bayreuther Blätter
836:Art and Revolution
755:Non-operatic music
712:Tristan und Isolde
387:Wagner (1995), 284
315:Wagner (1994), 378
306:Wagner (1994), 269
82:Art and Revolution
22:
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1235:
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1059:Bayreuth Festival
1035:Bayreuth Festival
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1005:
1004:
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997:(1858; text only)
988:
987:(1850; text only)
978:
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945:Unfinished operas
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816:
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801:Wesendonck Lieder
796:
795:(1844, rev. 1855)
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706:
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469:978-0-8032-9780-7
454:978-0-8032-9752-4
423:Wagner (1994) 388
369:Wagner (1994) 368
351:Wagner (1994) 287
342:Wagner (1994) 278
333:Wagner (1994) 280
237:Siegfried's Death
1449:
1409:
1408:
1399:
1389:
1388:
1240:Named for Wagner
1209:Film adaptations
1206:
1205:
1137:Siegfried Wagner
1122:Katharina Wagner
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560:Das Liebesverbot
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38:autobiographical
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1291:Gesamtkunstwerk
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1257:Wagner (crater)
1231:
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1152:Wolfgang Wagner
1147:Winifred Wagner
1102:Eva Chamberlain
1083:
1074:Jahrhundertring
1054:Bayreuth Circle
1026:
1001:
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897:
892:Opera and Drama
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811:Siegfried Idyll
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692:Götterdämmerung
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581:Romantic operas
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538:Complete operas
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209:Flying Dutchman
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114:, where he was
98:Opera and Drama
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1190:Wagner's Dream
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1142:Wieland Wagner
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1049:Bayreuth canon
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909:Opera excerpts
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791:Faust Overture
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84:" (written in
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42:Richard Wagner
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1353:Controversies
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1117:Cosima Wagner
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1089:Wagner family
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917:Bridal Chorus
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281:Understanding
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144:Theodor Uhlig
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116:Kapellmeister
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63:Kapellmeister
59:
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31:
27:
18:
1363:Museo Wagner
1340:
1336:Rhinemaidens
1328:
1316:
1289:
1282:
1224:
1216:
1197:
1188:
1181:
1174:Wagner Dream
1172:
1127:Minna Wagner
1112:Ludwig Geyer
1041:
1017:Holztrompete
991:
981:
971:
963:Die Hochzeit
961:
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890:
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820:Kaisermarsch
809:
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632:Music dramas
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68:May Uprising
61:
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23:
1432:1851 essays
1411:WikiProject
1267:3992 Wagner
1227:(1982 film)
1219:(1904 film)
1200:(1986 film)
1193:(2012 film)
1185:(1983 film)
1132:Nike Wagner
1022:Wagner tuba
902:Other opera
668:Die WalkĂĽre
545:Early works
248:Franz Liszt
233:of Nazareth
104:Franz Liszt
92:" (1849), "
88:in 1849), "
1426:Categories
1312:Musikdrama
1010:Inventions
993:Die Sieger
878:Mein Leben
601:Tannhäuser
289:Ring cycle
242:Ring cycle
217:TannhaĂĽser
213:TannhaĂĽser
131:Tannhäuser
100:" (1851).
52:Background
1373:Wahnfried
1302:Leitmotif
1198:Wahnfried
931:Liebestod
680:Siegfried
613:Lohengrin
478:, London.
252:Lohengrin
136:Lohengrin
120:librettos
108:Lohengrin
77:Lohengrin
1391:Category
1225:Parsifal
1217:Parsifal
828:Writings
772:Overture
736:Parsifal
553:Die Feen
150:Contents
40:work by
1276:Related
1177:(opera)
871:Leubald
770:Polonia
439:Sources
58:Dresden
1182:Wagner
977:(1838)
967:(1832)
957:(1830)
815:(1870)
805:(1858)
785:(1843)
775:(1836)
764:(1832)
567:Rienzi
467:
452:
205:Rienzi
176:Rienzi
134:, and
112:Weimar
72:ZĂĽrich
32:) of "
30:German
1401:Audio
295:Notes
263:Opera
231:Jesus
162:drama
86:Paris
46:opera
465:ISBN
450:ISBN
193:duet
189:aria
110:in
1428::
291:.
254:.
191:,
138:.
128:,
933:"
929:"
926:"
922:"
919:"
915:"
887:"
883:"
866:"
862:"
859:"
855:"
852:"
848:"
845:"
841:"
838:"
834:"
505:e
498:t
491:v
471:.
244:)
24:"
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