The Study Of Wagner’s Idea Of Music Dramma

The research object of this thesis is Richard Wagner’s works. With deeply analysis, the thesis tries to interpret Wagner’s idea of music drama behind his works and to explore how Wagner understood political culture under19th century’s special social background as an artist. The basic purpose of the thesis is to reveal the essence behind his ideas about music drama.Based on Wagner’s works in different periods, the first chapter focuses on the formation process of Wagner’s music drama ideas, combining above formation process with19th century’s political backgrounds and culture for consideration. The purpose is to explain the effects of certain historical period to artist’s academic theory development. The second chapter displays Wagner serious critique and interpretation of contemporary composers’ theories in his works, and further, reveals the essence of such critique:for one thing it’s just Wager’s inheritance of German ethos; for another thing it’s just an innovation of music drama in which the concept of "symphonic" is planted. Such innovation makes music drama more meaningful. The final chapter puts the concept of symphonic in a macroscopic view for consideration, explaining the art philosophy and art form behind symphonic. In the end the thesis agree that Gesamtkunstwerk can be regarded as a special "symphony drama" and this is just the unique value of Wagner’s ideas of music drama and composing innovation in western music history.