Understanding the Music of Richard Wagner Communications & Media Essay (Essay Sample)

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Understanding the Music of Richard Wagner Through His Personal Life
The ideas of politics, love and theatre provide the surest prisms of studying the music of Richard Wagner through his personal life. It is often said that one cannot separate the art from the artist, or in this case, separate the personal life of Richard Wagner from his music. The legacy of Wagner as a musician and composer proves that very statement to run true. Due to much of Richard Wagner’s music being inspired by his personality and personal life, it is evident that one cannot separate art from the artist, since the art created comes from and within the artist itself. In this regard, many arguments have been advanced to encourage a biographical framework of analyzing art. As such, great works such as “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso have been understood within the context of the artist's personal ideals and even the events in his life. There is indeed evidence which shows that the application of biographical information in the art of the artist yields a deeper analysis than when such information is left out. The purpose of this essay is to contextualize the artistic production of Wagner against his personal life.
At the outset, it is critical to begin with a biographical sketch of the artist. Wagner was a German composer born in Leipzig on May 22 in the year 1813. He was born into a family of eight siblings, and he seemed to be the only one showcasing little talent or interests in hobbies other than poetry (Newman 57). It is uncertain whether his father was Friedrich Wagner, who passed away after Richard was born or whom he called his stepfather, Ludwig Geyer. He was introduced to art by his stepfather and grew a great deal of love for the theatre (Newman 56). His piano lessons began once enrolling into school in 1820 and thus at an early age he discovered his ability to play music pieces by ear.