Richard Wagner (1813–83) was a German composer, theatre director,
polemicist, and conductor primarily known for his operas. His
compositions, particularly those of his later period, are notable for
their complex textures, rich harmonies and orchestration, and the
elaborate use of leitmotifs—musical phrases associated with individual
characters, places, ideas or plot elements. These innovations greatly
influenced the development of classical music; his Tristan und Isolde is
sometimes described as marking the start of modern music. Wagner
revolutionised opera through his synthesis of the poetic, visual,
musical and dramatic arts, first fully realised in his four-opera Ring
cycle. He had his own opera house built at Bayreuth, containing many
novel design features, where his most important stage works continue to
be performed in an annual festival run by his descendants. Wagner's
controversial writings on music, drama and politics have attracted
extensive comment in recent decades, especially where they express
antisemitic sentiments. The effects of his ideas can be traced in many
of the arts throughout the 20th century.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner>
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HMS Beagle departed on its first voyage from Plymouth for a
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Five trains were involved in a crash near Gretna Green,
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Pac-Man, an arcade game that became an icon of 1980s popular
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The Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of
Yemen merged to become the Republic of Yemen.
Swedish golfer Annika Sörenstam became the first woman to play
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
Composure, self-possession or imperturbability especially when in a
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I am not the law, but I represent justice so far as my feeble
--Arthur Conan Doyle