Wagner Societies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wagner Societies are loosely-affiliated groups that bring together individuals interested in the work of the 19th century German artist Richard Wagner.
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[edit] History
The first Wagner Society was launched in 1871 in Mannheim, Germany. The brainchild of Wagner's longtime friend, the music publisher Emil Heckel, the first such society was simply a locally-conceived venue for celebrating Wagner's music. In the wake of Wagner's difficulties in securing interest in the public subscription for his future Bayreuth Festival, Heckel suggested to the composer that he sponsor additional societies to help secure support. Wagner embraced the idea enthusiastically, and by 1872, societies had been established in Vienna, Berlin, Leipzig and London (the latter founded by Edward Dannreuther (1844-1905), the author of Richard Wagner: His Tendencies and Theories published in 1873).
Despite the successful launch of Wagner Societies (principally in Germany), public interest in the highly priced subscriptions remained tepid .[citation needed]. Nonetheless, Wagner Societies soon started sprouting up across Europe. The number has expanded considerably in the last fifty years[citation needed].
[edit] Function
Today, more than 37,000 members make up the 136 Wagner Societies around the globe. Wagner societies today can be found in all parts of the world, including Adelaide, Shanghai, Tokyo, Lisbon, Ankara, New York, Toronto, Cape Town, Bangkok and Puerto Rico. Societies are very diverse and offer a wide range of different Wagner-related activities. Membership has its privileges: Wagner Society members enjoy priority access to tickets for the Bayreuth Festival, which generally require many years to obtain.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Official website
- The Wagner Verband website - contains links or contact information for all individual societies.
