Siegfried Wagner facts for kids

Siegfried Wagner

Siegfried Helferich Richard Wagner (6 June 1869 – 4 August 1930) was a German composer and conductor. He was the son of the famous composer Richard Wagner. Siegfried wrote many operas and was the main person in charge of the Bayreuth Festival from 1908 to 1930.

Early Life and Education

Siegfried Wagner was born in 1869. His parents were Richard Wagner and Cosima (whose maiden name was Liszt). He was born in Tribschen, a place near Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. His mother's father was Franz Liszt, another very famous composer. Siegfried learned some music from his grandfather.

Siegfried Wagner in 1896

Siegfried started writing music around 1882 when he was a teenager. After finishing school in 1889, he studied with Engelbert Humperdinck, who was an assistant to his father. However, Siegfried was also very interested in becoming an architect. He studied architecture in Berlin and Karlsruhe.

A Change to Music

In 1892, Siegfried traveled to Asia with his friend, the English composer Clement Harris. During this trip, Siegfried decided to stop studying architecture. He chose to focus on music instead. While on the ship, he started writing his first major piece. It was a symphonic poem called Sehnsucht. This piece was inspired by a poem by Friedrich Schiller. Siegfried finished Sehnsucht just before he conducted it in London on June 6, 1895. Even though he wrote many musical works, most of them are not well-known today.

Leading the Bayreuth Festival

Siegfried Wagner first worked as a conductor at the Bayreuth Festival in 1894. He became an associate conductor in 1896. He helped conduct his father's famous Ring Cycle operas. In 1908, Siegfried took over as the artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival. He followed his mother, Cosima, in this important role.

Family Life

For many years, Siegfried's mother wanted him to get married. She hoped he would have children to continue the Wagner family's connection to the festival.

In 1914, Siegfried met a 17-year-old Englishwoman named Winifred Klindworth. They were introduced at the Bayreuth Festival. Siegfried was 45 years old at the time. They got married on September 22, 1915.

Siegfried and Winifred had four children:

• Wieland (born 1917)
• Friedelind (born 1918)
• Wolfgang (born 1919)
• Verena (born 1920)

Cosima and Siegfried Wagner, around 1929

Siegfried Wagner passed away in Bayreuth in 1930. He was 61 years old. His mother had died only four months before him. Because his two sons were still young, his wife Winifred took over as the head of the Bayreuth Festival.

Works

Operas

You can find a full list of his operas here: List of operas by Siegfried Wagner

Orchestral Works

• March for Gottfried der Spielmann (around 1882)
• Sehnsucht, a symphonic poem (1892–1895)
• Concertino for flute and small orchestra (1913)
• Violin Concerto (1915)
• Und wenn die Welt voll Teufel wär, a lively piece for orchestra (1922)
• Glück, another symphonic poem (1922–23)
• Symphony in C major (1925, revised 1927)

Vocal Music

• "Abend auf dem Meere", for a female singer and piano (1890)
• "Frühlingsglaube", for a female singer and piano (1890)
• "Das Märchen vom dicken fetten Pfannekuchen", for a solo voice and orchestra (1913)
• "Nacht am Narocz", for a male singer and piano (1919)

See also

In Spanish: Siegfried Wagner (compositor) para niños

• Wagner family