Richard Wagner and Organ

The Czech organist Michael Bártek presents the thesis Richard Wagner and the organ. Penetration of the Work of the Genius from Bayreuth into the Music for Organ as a graduate master thesis in studies on musical faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. This thesis concerns itself with the relationship between Richard Wagner and the organ, a relation which is, despite no specific composition from the maestro for organ, surprisingly rich, and which seems thus far unexplored. Considering the impending bicentenary of the composer (and the 130th death anniversary), the theme deserves to be elaborated on. The author reviews the direct relationship of Wagner and the organ, with his influences on composers for organ, as with, for example, the issue of transcription, at first more general, later more focused on Wagner