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A vintage portrait depicts Richard Wagner, the influential German composer, conductor, and theorist whose groundbreaking works transformed opera during the Romantic era. Born in 1813 in Leipzig, Germany, Wagner is best known for his monumental music dramas and his concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, or “total work of art,� which unified music, drama, and visual elements into a single artistic vision. His major works—including The Ring Cycle, Tristan und Isolde, Parsifal, and Ride of the Valkyries—redefined operatic structure, orchestration, and dramatic expression. Wagner died in 1883 in Venice, leaving a profound legacy as one of the most important and innovative composers in Western music history.