Richard Wagner
Concert Band 12 Laine Jackart
Mr. L. Olson March, 2013
Richard Wagner
Biographical Information
Richard Wilhelm Wagner was born on May 22, 1813 in Leipzig, Germany to Carl Friedrich Wagner, the Registrar at the Police Department, and his wife Johana. Richard was their ninth child. When Richard was just 6 months old, Carl succumbed to Typhoid Fever which was rampant in Leipzig because Napoleon had laid siege to the town, and there were dead bodies floating in the river.
As a result of his alleged biological father’s death, Richard’s mother remarried a man named Ludwig Geyer .Geyer had been a lodger of the Wagner’s for some time, and shared Carl and Johana’s love of the theatre, so they became close friends, and he was loved by the Wagner children. Geyer was an actor and a painter. Some historians allege that Geyer was in fact Richard’s biological father. After Geyer and Johanna married, they moved to Dresden in 1814. Geyer was the only father Richard knew, and Geyer immersed Richard in the theatrical world at an early age by taking him to work with him at the theatre. Richard loved the escape of the theatre from the dull routine of everyday life.
Richard did not appear to have any artistic talent, but Geyer made it his mission to make something of him. Geyer exposed him to the theatre, and also tried to teach him how to draw and paint, but these efforts did not yield success. When Richard was only 8 year s old, Geyer was deathly ill. Johanna had Richard play the piano for the dying Geyer, and he died thinking Richard may have musical talent.
After Geyer died, Richard was sent to live with his older brother Julius, who was apprenticing as a Goldsmith. A year later, Richard returned to Dresden where he again became involved in theatre. He would recreate as imaginative puppet shows, the plays he had seen. In school, the only subject that caught his interest was Greek Tragedy, but he found the Greek Grammar dull and boring.
Mr. L. Olson March, 2013
Richard Wagner
Biographical Information
Richard Wilhelm Wagner was born on May 22, 1813 in Leipzig, Germany to Carl Friedrich Wagner, the Registrar at the Police Department, and his wife Johana. Richard was their ninth child. When Richard was just 6 months old, Carl succumbed to Typhoid Fever which was rampant in Leipzig because Napoleon had laid siege to the town, and there were dead bodies floating in the river.
As a result of his alleged biological father’s death, Richard’s mother remarried a man named Ludwig Geyer .Geyer had been a lodger of the Wagner’s for some time, and shared Carl and Johana’s love of the theatre, so they became close friends, and he was loved by the Wagner children. Geyer was an actor and a painter. Some historians allege that Geyer was in fact Richard’s biological father. After Geyer and Johanna married, they moved to Dresden in 1814. Geyer was the only father Richard knew, and Geyer immersed Richard in the theatrical world at an early age by taking him to work with him at the theatre. Richard loved the escape of the theatre from the dull routine of everyday life.
Richard did not appear to have any artistic talent, but Geyer made it his mission to make something of him. Geyer exposed him to the theatre, and also tried to teach him how to draw and paint, but these efforts did not yield success. When Richard was only 8 year s old, Geyer was deathly ill. Johanna had Richard play the piano for the dying Geyer, and he died thinking Richard may have musical talent.
After Geyer died, Richard was sent to live with his older brother Julius, who was apprenticing as a Goldsmith. A year later, Richard returned to Dresden where he again became involved in theatre. He would recreate as imaginative puppet shows, the plays he had seen. In school, the only subject that caught his interest was Greek Tragedy, but he found the Greek Grammar dull and boring.