Rudolf Wagner-Regeny |

Rudolf Wagner-Régeny

Born on August 28, 1903 in the town of Zehsisch-Regen in Semigradye (former Austria-Hungary) into a merchant family. He studied in Berlin and already in the 20s. was known as the author of several one-act operas (The Naked King after Andersen, 1928; Sganarelle after Molière, 1923, 2nd edition 1929). His first major opera, The Favorite (1935), is still a significant success today. It was followed by The Citizens of Calais (1939), Johanna Balk (1941) – all three operas to a libretto by Kaspar Neher, then Prometheus after the tragedy of Aeschylus to his own text (1939) and The Flun Mine to a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1931). Rudolf Wagner-Regeny was a member of the Bavarian Academy of Arts. He died on September 18, 1969.

Wagner-Regeny is the author of several ballets; he composed in the 20s. music for the ballet troupe of Rudolf von Laban, a reformer and theorist of modern ballet. In his theatrical works, Wagner-Regeny strove for concise forms, clarity and poster sharpness of images. In Germany, this composer is also valued for his instrumental music, for his mastery of the complex modern technique of musical writing.