Wagnerian

Wagnerian music emerged in the 19th century, championed by a certain German fellow whose love for grandiosity knew no bounds, turning opera into a theatrical epic that could rival a soap opera in terms of drama. Characterised by lush orchestration, complex harmonies, and an unnaturally fond relationship with leitmotifs, it sounds as though the orchestra is continually trying to win an argument with itself while singers proclaim their feelings with alarming intensity. It has since been both lauded for its innovations and shunned by those who firmly believe that less is more; a classic case of ‘love it or hate it’ in musical form.