Today is the birthday of the famous and controversial German composer, Richard Wagner. Known for his numerous operas (as well as his anti-Semitic views), the mastermind behind works like "Tristan and Isolde" and "Tannhäuser" would turn 200 years old if he were still alive today.
Born in Leipzig in 1813, Wagner lived a life in the spotlight, whether he was premiering blockbuster dramas at concert halls across Europe or palling around with historical figures like King Leopold II. Drama seemed to follow the composer wherever he went, from his tumultuous marriages and affairs to his extreme political views. Yet amidst celebrity and infamy, Wagner managed to produce 113 works, listed in his Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis (Wwv) catalog. Two centuries later, symphonies and opera singers are still performing his pieces.
To celebrate Wagner's 200th birthday, concert halls across the world are hosting homages to the controversial musical great. In addition, New York Public Radio...
Born in Leipzig in 1813, Wagner lived a life in the spotlight, whether he was premiering blockbuster dramas at concert halls across Europe or palling around with historical figures like King Leopold II. Drama seemed to follow the composer wherever he went, from his tumultuous marriages and affairs to his extreme political views. Yet amidst celebrity and infamy, Wagner managed to produce 113 works, listed in his Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis (Wwv) catalog. Two centuries later, symphonies and opera singers are still performing his pieces.
To celebrate Wagner's 200th birthday, concert halls across the world are hosting homages to the controversial musical great. In addition, New York Public Radio...
- 5/22/2013
- by Katherine Brooks
- Huffington Post
Charlie Chaplin responded to the arrival of sound by keeping his tramp mute and creating a fabulous soundtrack. Composer Carl Davis on the challenge of reconstructing his original scores
The three giants of 20th-century art are, for me, Picasso, Stravinsky and Chaplin. All three produced a tremendous amount of work – original, controversial and rewarding. Chaplin was a film-maker in complete control of his art: conceiving, scripting, acting, directing, producing, editing and, strikingly, creating his own musical scores. His stimulus, as it is with all clowns, was the creation of a character – amusing, moving, the fate of whom constantly intrigues us. Whereas Buster Keaton was a frozen-faced stoic and Harold Lloyd had his empty-framed glasses, Chaplin had his "little tramp", the ups-and-downs (mostly downs) of whose existence shaped a story of human resilience. The tramp character, with his stubby moustache, bowler hat, oversized shoes and cane appeared on screen first in...
The three giants of 20th-century art are, for me, Picasso, Stravinsky and Chaplin. All three produced a tremendous amount of work – original, controversial and rewarding. Chaplin was a film-maker in complete control of his art: conceiving, scripting, acting, directing, producing, editing and, strikingly, creating his own musical scores. His stimulus, as it is with all clowns, was the creation of a character – amusing, moving, the fate of whom constantly intrigues us. Whereas Buster Keaton was a frozen-faced stoic and Harold Lloyd had his empty-framed glasses, Chaplin had his "little tramp", the ups-and-downs (mostly downs) of whose existence shaped a story of human resilience. The tramp character, with his stubby moustache, bowler hat, oversized shoes and cane appeared on screen first in...
- 1/1/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
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