Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 - February 13, 1883) was a German opera composer and key figure in the development of late Romantic music. He stretched the tonal systems of his day, using chromaticism for dramatic effect. Wagner also introduced the concept of the leitmotiv in his operatic plot development, a recurring musical theme associated with a particular person, place, or idea.

His greatest achievement is the cycle of four massive operas, completed in 1876, and known as Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), consisting of Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) composed in order between 1869 and 1874.