Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813–1883) is primarily known for his revolutionary music dramas, but his rare piano works and the numerous transcriptions of his operas reflect his visionary harmonic language. Performing Wagner on the piano requires an orchestral imagination and an ability to sustain long, chromatic lines. The pianist must evoke the vast emotional scale and complex leitmotifs found in his operas, requiring a mastery of varied dynamics and a deep, resonant tone. His music challenges the performer to translate his monumental stage visions into the intimate medium of the keyboard.