Rudolf Wagner-Régeny

Rudolf Wagner-Régeny (1903, Szászrégen, Austria-Hungary (now Reghin, Romania) — 1969, Berlin) was a Romanian composer, conductor, and pianist active in Germany. From 1919-1920 he studied at the Leipzig Conservatory and then at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik from 1920–1923. He served as chorusmaster at the Berlin Volksoper from 1923–1925. In 1927 joined Laban's dance company where he conducted productions for three years. In 1947 he became the director of the Rostock Hochschule für Musik where he stayed until he was appointed professor of composition at the East Berlin Academy of Arts in 1950. He left the academy in 1968 when he became ill and died a year later.

As a composer Wagner-Régeny wrote numerous symphonic works and chamber works. He also composed 12 operas of which "Die Bürger von Calais" (1936), "Johanna Balk" (1938), and "Das Bergwerk zu Falun" (1958) are considered his best work. His 1958 ballet "Tristan" is also greatly admired.

Works

Stage works:
* "Moschopuls" 1928 Gera
* "Der nackte König", 1928 Gera
* "Sganarelle" or "Der Schein trügt", 1929 Essen
* "La sainte courtisane", 1930 Gera
* "Der Günstling", 1935 Dresden
* "Die Bürger von Calais", 1939 Berlin
* "Johanna Balk", 1941 Vienna
* "Prometheus", 1959 Kassel
* "Das Bergwerk zu Falun", 1961 Salzburg
* "Persische Episoden", 1963 Rostock

Instrumental music:
* Orchestral music with piano, 1935
* String quartet, 1948
* Two dances for Palucca, 1950
* Three orchestral pieces: Mythological Figures, 1951
* Three orchestral sets, 1952
* Seven fugues, 1953
* Introduction and ode for symphonic orchestra, 1967

Vocal music:
* 10 Lieder on texts by Brecht, 1950
* Cantata “Genesis”, 1956
* Jüdische Chronik, 1961
* Hermann Hesse songs "Gesänge des Abschieds", 1968/69
* Three Fontane-Lieder, 1969

ources

*David Drew. The "New Grove Dictionary of Opera", edited by Stanley Sadie (1992), ISBN 0-333-73432-7 and ISBN 1-56159-228-5