Columbus Overture, WWV. 37 – Richard Wagner

Columbus Overture, WWV. 37 by Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner completed this overture in 1835 as part of the incidental music to the play ‘Columbus’, written by the German playwright Guido Theodor Apel. Wagner had met Apel at the Nikolaischule (Old Nikolai School) in Leipzig when Wagner began studying there in 1827, and the two became lifelong friends.

The first performance of ‘Columbus’ accompanied by Wagner’s’ incidental music was given in February of 1835 at the Stadt-Theater in Magdeburg with Wagner himself conducting the orchestra. Despite initial positive reviews of the performance, the work was not particularly successful, and unfortunately the manuscript of the musical accompaniment to ‘Columbus’ has been lost. Only the score to the overture has been retained, and is now referred to as the ‘Columbus’ Overture.

As per the name, the play ‘Columbus’ is based on the life and achievements of the explorer Christopher Columbus.

The overture is comprised of a single movement.