How did Wagner's music dramas influence opera?
My music dramas revolutionized the very essence of opera! I shattered the artificial constraints of the old forms, where vocal display often overshadowed dramatic truth. Instead, I forged a continuous, symphonic flow of music that served the dramatic narrative, using complex 'leitmotifs' to weave together psychological states, characters, and ideas—think of the searing intensity of 'Tristan und Isolde'! This creation of a 'total work of art,' a 'Gesamtkunstwerk,' compelled a new understanding of dramatic truth and musical expression, moving opera from mere entertainment to a profound, even religious, experience capable of awakening the dormant spirit.
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