Richard Wagner
Revolutionary opera composer, Gesamtkunstwerk
Most quoted
"The error in the art-genre of Opera consists herein: that a Means of expression (Music) has been made the end, while the End of expression (the Drama) has been made a means."
— from Opera and Drama, 1851
"The destiny of us musicians is to be the first artists to disappear from this earth; for after all, what have we got to do with a world from which beauty is vanishing?"
— from Letter
"Where the world is nothing but a dream, there is no need for a world to be. But where the world is a dream, there is a need for a world to be dreamed."
— from Letters
All quotes by Richard Wagner (411)
The greatest tragedy is to live without passion.
The artist must suffer to create.
The true artist is a magician.
The world is a stage, and we are all actors.
My music is a mirror of the soul.
The artist must be a visionary.
The greatest art is that which inspires us to be better.
The human spirit is indomitable.
My art is a revolution.
The artist must be a prophet.
The greatest gift is the gift of music.
The human soul is a symphony.
My music is a journey into the unknown.
The artist must be a god.
The greatest beauty is found in the truth.
The human heart is a universe.
My art is a testament to the power of the human spirit.
The artist must be a creator.
The greatest art is that which transcends time.
The human soul is a mystery.
Contemporaries of Richard Wagner
Other Musics born within 50 years of Richard Wagner (1813–1883).