“Rienzi” by Richard Wagner ♡

Premiere / date of written: 20 October 1842

Rienzi, der Letzte der Tribunen (Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes) is Richard Wagner’s early grand opera, written between July 1838 and November 1840 and first performed at the Hofoper in Dresden on October 20, 1842. Inspired by Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s novel about the historical Roman tribune Cola di Rienzo, the opera is set in medieval Rome and follows Rienzi’s rise as a charismatic leader who seeks to restore justice and unity to a corrupt city, only to fall victim to political intrigue and the volatility of the crowd he once inspired.

Musically, the work reflects the influence of French grand opera, with large-scale choruses, ceremonial scenes, and dramatic spectacle. Although Wagner later distanced himself from Rienzi, it remains significant as his first major success and a revealing step toward his later artistic development.

Libretti

#	Language	Authors
1	German	Richard Wagner
2	Russian	Г. А. Лишин

original libretto
line-by-line of the original libretto

History

• 1869 April 6 — The Paris premiere of Wagner’s "Rienzi" opened at the Théâtre-Lyrique under Jules Pasdeloup.

Images

Notable videos

Audio recordings

Year	Cast	Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra	Label, Comment	Buy
1950	Cola Rienzi, Roman Tribune — Günther Treptow, Irene, his sister — Trude Eipperle, Steffano Colonna, a nobleman — Helmut Fehn, Adriano, his son — Erna Schlüter, Paolo Orsini, another patrician — Rudolf Gonszar, Raimondo, Papal Legate — Heinz Prybit, Baroncelli, Roman citizen — Willy Hoffman, Cecco del Vecchio, Roman citizen — Josef Lindlar, The Messenger of Peace — Berta Preisker	Winfried Zillig Sinfonieorchester des Hessischen Rundfunks	Zyx music Running time 169 min.	$25.00
1976	Cola Rienzi, Roman Tribune — René Kollo, Irene, his sister — Siv Wennberg, Steffano Colonna, a nobleman — Nikolaus Hillebrand, Adriano, his son — Janis Martin, Paolo Orsini, another patrician — Theo Adam, Raimondo, Papal Legate — Siegfried Vogel, Baroncelli, Roman citizen — Peter Schreier, Cecco del Vecchio, Roman citizen — Günther Leib, The Messenger of Peace — Ingeborg Springer, Ambassadors, Nobles, Priests, Monks, Soldiers, Messengers, Populace	Heinrich Hollreiser Dresden Staatskapelle	EMI Classics Complete recording of Wagner's shortened 1843 version. CD comes with libretto in German and English.	$12.87
1983	René Kollo, Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Cheryl Studer, John Janssen, Bodo Brinkmann, Karl Helm, Norbert Orth, Kieth Engen	Wolfgang Sawallisch Bavarian State Opera orchestra and chorus	Orfeo d'Oro

External links

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Wagner and Paris: The Case of Rienzi (1869) by Mark Everist