Wagnerian

American  

[vahg-neer-ee-uhn] / vɑgˈnɪər i ən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Richard Wagner or his works.

   Wagnerian grandeur; a Wagnerian soprano.

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noun

1. Also Wagnerite a follower or admirer of the music or theories of Richard Wagner.

Wagnerian British  

/ vɑːɡˈnɪərɪən /

adjective

1. of or suggestive of the dramatic musical compositions of Richard Wagner, their massive scale, dramatic and emotional intensity, etc

2. denoting or relating to a singer who has a voice suitable for singing Wagner

3. of or relating to a big, powerful, or domineering woman

   a Wagnerian maiden

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noun

1. a follower or disciple of the music or theories of Richard Wagner

Etymology

Origin of Wagnerian

First recorded in 1870–75; Wagner + -ian

Example Sentences

He “has mystical tendencies, no common sense, and a Wagnerian taste for heroics and death. He was born loaded with vanities and has developed megalomania as his final decoration.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But it was in the staging of his own plays that he approached the Wagnerian ideal of the Gesamtkunstwerk or integrated artwork.

From Los Angeles Times

“That’s why I chose that orchestration that is very what I call ‘aerial,’ and Wagnerian, and kind of also Hollywood — which I never knew that I could do.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Somebody said she’s the new Nina Stemme. I disagree. She’s the new Nilsson,” he said in a comparison with Birgit Nilsson, regarded as one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos of the 20th century.

From Seattle Times

Woodwinds at the top of Act II are practically Wagnerian in their extravagant stateliness.

From New York Times