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Wagner Society of Dallas Wesendonck Lieder |
WSD EVENTS 2006-7
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Wagner Society of Dallas March Concert
Richard Wagner and the Wesendonck Lieder
Songs are the most simple and yet most powerful of all musical forms in our world. Songs are chamber music for voice. Yet songs can the foundation of the most complex of orchestral compositions, as witnessed by Mahler's well known song cycles. Why did Richard Wagner chooses to write songs, including the Wesendonk Lieder, when he is best known for his operas? The answer is simple. He wanted to write music that would make him accessible to music lovers in their homes, not just the opera house. Wagner's first songs were written while he was living in Paris, between 1839 and 1842. By writing songs, he hoped to make his name in what was then the music capital of the world. In this case, he failed, for the songs he wrote during that period, while interesting, are not musically significant. The situation changed when Wagner wrote the Wesendonck Lieder in 1857. These songs, which became an important artistic statement for Wagner, were written while the composer and his wife were living in Zurich on the estate of Otto Wesendonck and his wife Mathilde. Wesendonck was a wealthy merchant and one of Wagner's many benefactors. During his stay with the Wesendonck's, Wagner fell in love with Mathilde. He saw his friend's beautiful wife as a "loving muse." At the same time, Mathilde herself was inspired to write her poems by the presence of the great maestro in her daily life. In the end, he himself was inspired to set five of them to music, which he presented to her as a birthday present on December 23, 1857. The songs were studies for Wagner's next opera, Tristan und Isolde, an opera filled with the unresolved chromaticism that would open a new window of expression for the musical world. In the first song, Der Engle, Wagner uses themes from Das Rheingold. The rest of the songs are in one way or another connected with Tristan und Isolde. The rushing music heard in Stehe Stille! - Stand Still - is later used in Act I of Tristan. The introduction of Im Treibhaus - In the Green house - most closely resembles music in Act III. In the fourth song, Schmerzern - Pain - the music is found in Act II of the opera. Finally, the pivotal love duet in Act II of Tristan und Isolde finds its source in the setting for Mathilde's final poem, Traeume - Dreams. So we see that Wagner's assessment of this music was correct. He has indeed done nothing better than these songs. Claus Peter Flor
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Programs for 2005 - 2006
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Desiree Mays |
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| March 5, 2006 |
Red Carnations, an opera by Robert Baksa presented by Dallas Opera Education Department and SMU |
All dates and events subject to change.
It's That Time Again!
Please Renew your Membership in
the Wagner Society of Dallas
Annual Membership Fee is $25 Per Person
Click HERE for PDF Membership Form
Welcome to The Wagner Society of Dallas. You know, as Texans, we're bound to strive for being the biggest and best of all the Wagner groups in the world over. My hope, in addition, is that we ensure your attendance and participation by offering an interesting, stimulating, and enjoyable array of meetings, recitals, and travel. Let us know if you have suggestions for future activities, and do make an effort to join in during the coming months with your membership, attendance, and above all joy of being with fellow Wagner aficionados. Roger Carroll The Wagner Society of Dallas - Virginia R.
Abdo and Dr. James T. Wheeler, The Wagner Society of Dallas is devoted to furthering the enjoyment and appreciation of the music of Richard Wagner. The Dallas group is one of many Wagner Societies all over the world. It is a non-profit organization open to anyone who enjoys the works of Richard Wagner and who would like to participate in the Society’s activities. The Wagner Society of Dallas has monthly meetings and programs which feature recitals, lectures, video screenings, receptions for opera singers and personalities, and trips to Wagner performances in other cities. We welcome music lovers who are already familiar with Wagner’s works as well as those who may want to become more knowledgeable about Wagner’s music. Member Benefits include attendance at programs, our newsletter, discount on books and CD’s, advance notice of events and selected ticket services, receipt of the Membership Directory, ticket allotments to Bayreuth, and an active link with fellow Wagnerians throughout the world. |
