Rienzi Overture

[joggerjayne]

Being up in London today, I accidentally fell into HMV ...

... and bought a CD of some Wagner overtures ...

including Rienzi.

I'd almost forgotten how beautiful it is.

Here ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s19dwaXjS6M

(ff to 1 min 35 secs for musical heaven).

And later on, the cascading string sections are just so prescient of Tannhauser and The Flying Dutchman.

It's exquisitely wonderful, and I'd recommend it.



Love,
Seagull
x

[Mr Veritas]

Hi there seagull,
Yes,Wagner never ceases to amaze me.
Rienzi was first performed in 1842,it was Wagner's third opera.
Sadly not performed much (if ever) today,mainly as it runs to 6 hours(inc intermissions).
When Wagner wrote it he was till married to Minna,but then he abanonded her and took up with Cosima Von Bulow(the wife of Hans von Bulow his greatest supporter,needless to say Bulow was soon running Wagner down).
Eventually he married Cosima,(their children Isolde, Eva and Siegfried were born before this marriage however!)shewas the (illigitimate) daughter of the great composer Franz Liszt.

Makes Corrie seem quite tame doesn't it!

Regards,
Dodo,
Cosima didn't die till 1930.

[Jan1957]

Hadn't heard that jj, sorry Seagull, but you're right. Have now downloaded it to my playlist. Keep the recommendations coming.

[Mortartube]

Absolutely beautiful.. My father was a violinist but leant more towards Mozart than Wagner consequently, I have never heard this. Although Siegfrieds funeral march is one of my favourite pieces of classical music.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20RldhK9354

[joggerjayne]

Thanks, Dodo.

Yes ... real life drama ... but surpassed by Richard W's extraordinary dramatic imagination.

Actually ... I'm just thinking about my last sentence. Wagner's works were largely based on existing tales, including Rienzi of course. I found an old copy of the book of Rienzi many years ago in a second hand bookshop in Guildford, so I've read the book too.

Jan ... I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's lovely, isn't it.

Mortartube ... how wonderful to have a father who could play the violin properly. Most families have to put up with the painful squeakings and scratchings produced by somewhat less capable violinists.

Thanks for the link. I enjoyed that. Very stirring.



Love,
Seagull
x