Last Living Grandson of Richard Wagner Dies at Age 90

Wolfgang Wagner, the great-grandson of Franz List and the grandson of Richard Wagner, died yesterday at his house in southern Germany. He was 90 years old. He was the son of Siegfried Wagner and the last living grandson of Richard Wagner.

Wolfgang rose to fame in 1966 when he assumed the directorship of Bayreuth Festspielhaus (an all Wagner opera house founded by the composer himself) after the untimely death of his brother Wieland Wagner.

Wolfgang inherited an opera company that was in dire need of organization and renovation. Wolfgang needed time and money. Time he might have had, but money was not so easily found: his mother, Winifred Wagner, and many other members of the Wagner family were well known supporters of Adolf Hitler. The post World War II Germans were not keen on supporting former members of the Nazi party. Wolfgang's projects survived only because of foreign sponsors.

Wolfgang began work on a "New" Bayreuth that would purposely remove the old guard and open the opera house to a new generation. In July 1972, Wolfgang oversaw Gotz Friedrich's proletarian production of Tannhauser. Wolfgang refused to curb his revolutionary appetite even when the production caused political upheaval and the walkout of conductor Erich Leinsdorf.

Wolfgang's brother had earlier developed a controversial staging method that called for sparse scenery and an overzealous use of lights. Wolfgang had collaborated with Wieland on several productions during the latter's lifetime. With his "new" opera house secure, Wolfgang continued his brother's legacy. In 1976, Wolfgang commissioned director Patrice Chereau to create what has now become the most controversial Ring Cycle in opera history. However, although the production was controversial, it was a hit with Wolfgang's followers. From 1976 to the present day, every Bayreuth production has been done in Wieland's minimalist style.

During his 42 year reign, Wolfgang Wagner ruled Bayreuth with an iron fist. He was the sole director (some might say "dictator") and decision maker during the entire time. He locked horns with and, subsequently, estranged several musicians as well as several members of the Wagner family. In addition to the continued war over Wolfgang's work, several family members accused him of slandering the Wagner name by making light of their involvement with the Nazis. When Wolfgang's health began to decline in the 1990's, the family began an ugly battle over who would be his successor.

The war finally ended in 2008 when Wolfgang's two daughters, Eva and Katharina, began a joint leadership of Bayreuth Festspielhaus.

Sources: http://www.dw-world.de/

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