From the beginning of opera in the late 16th century, composers had a set way of writing and composing opera music. They could choose from a handful of different types of operas- depending on what country they were in and what language they were writing in. Opera seria and opera buffa were standard, with variations forming later on in history. It was standard that a composer had a librettist, who would compose words for the opera. In the early 19th Century, Wagner had strong ideas and beliefs of what opera should be, and he began to challenge all of the conventional approaches to the opera. Writing his own libretti, the idea of “Gesamtkunstwerk”, and the creation of his own instruments and adaptation of singing styles are just a few examples.
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He thought that it must embody the character and aspirations of a folk or people, but also it must unite different means of expression- gesture, speech, and music. Thus came about the term Gesamtkunstwerk, or a collective artwork that represents the collective experience of the culture from which it proceeds, synthesizing it into one entity. Wagner did not see any of these entities as greater than the other (orchestration had just as much value as the words etc.), and he used all three of them to express what he wanted in the fullest. It could be said that previous composers valued the story or vocals in their operas more than the orchestration because of the commonality of virtuosic singers of the time. Wagner felt that he could not fully express, or create artwork to the fullest when one aspect was being favored over the other. An example of this can be found in his tragedy Tristan und Isolde Act II, scene 1. While the specific gestures and staging can not be discerned from the recording, it is apparent that the orchestra and vocalists have equally interesting and challenging parts. Wagner wanted to convey as many feelings as possible in this tragedy, and he put as much feeling into the orchestration as he did the libretto. All of the parts working together equally is what makes this, and other operas of Wagner’s so
He thought that it must embody the character and aspirations of a folk or people, but also it must unite different means of expression- gesture, speech, and music. Thus came about the term Gesamtkunstwerk, or a collective artwork that represents the collective experience of the culture from which it proceeds, synthesizing it into one entity. Wagner did not see any of these entities as greater than the other (orchestration had just as much value as the words etc.), and he used all three of them to express what he wanted in the fullest. It could be said that previous composers valued the story or vocals in their operas more than the orchestration because of the commonality of virtuosic singers of the time. Wagner felt that he could not fully express, or create artwork to the fullest when one aspect was being favored over the other. An example of this can be found in his tragedy Tristan und Isolde Act II, scene 1. While the specific gestures and staging can not be discerned from the recording, it is apparent that the orchestra and vocalists have equally interesting and challenging parts. Wagner wanted to convey as many feelings as possible in this tragedy, and he put as much feeling into the orchestration as he did the libretto. All of the parts working together equally is what makes this, and other operas of Wagner’s so