Cosima Wagner
Author
1837 – 1930
Who was Cosima Wagner?
Cosima Wagner, born Francesca Gaetana Cosima Liszt, was the daughter of the Hungarian pianist and composer Franz Liszt. She became the second wife of the German composer Richard Wagner, and with him founded the Bayreuth Festival as a showcase for his stage works; after his death she devoted the rest of her life to the promotion of his music and philosophy. Commentators have recognised Cosima as the principal inspiration for Wagner's later works, particularly Parsifal.
In 1857, after a childhood largely spent under the care of her grandmother and with governesses, Cosima married the conductor Hans von Bülow. Although the marriage produced two children, it was largely a loveless union, and in 1863 Cosima began a relationship with Wagner, who was 24 years her senior. She married him in 1870; after his death in 1883 she directed the Bayreuth Festival for more than 20 years, increasing its repertoire to form the Bayreuth canon of ten operas and establishing the festival as a major event in the world of musical theatre.
During her directorship, Cosima opposed theatrical innovations and adhered closely to Wagner's original productions of his works, an approach continued by her successors long after her retirement in 1907. She shared Wagner's convictions of German cultural and racial superiority, and under her influence, Bayreuth became increasingly identified with antisemitism. This was a defining feature of Bayreuth for decades, into the Nazi era which closely followed her death in 1930. Thus, although she is widely perceived as the saviour of the festival, her legacy remains controversial.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- Dec 24, 1837
Como - Also known as
- Cosima von Bülow
- Cosima Francesca Gaetana Wagner
- Cosima von Bulow
- Cosima Liszt
- Cosima de Flavigny
- Francesca Gaetana Cosima Liszt
- Kozima Vagner
- Parents
- Siblings
- Spouses
- Richard Wagner
(1870/08/25 - 1883/02/13) - Hans von Bülow
(1857/08/18 - 1870/07/18)
- Richard Wagner
- Children
- Religion
- Protestantism
- Catholicism
- Nationality
- Germany
- Lived in
- Bayreuth
- Tribschen
(1866 - )
- Died
- Apr 1, 1930
Bayreuth - Resting place
- Wahnfried
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Cosima Wagner." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/cosima_wagner>.
Discuss this Cosima Wagner biography with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In