Wagner: Lohengrin Bridal Chorus

Wagner encountered the Lohengrin legend in the winter of 1841 to 1842. In the summer of 1845, he became engrossed in the legend of the Holy Grail, and before the year was out he had written the libretto to Lohengrin. He then wrote out a complete draft, making some changes in the third act. The full score was completed in April of 1848. The first performance took place in Weimar. At the time, Wagner was in exile in Switzerland, so the premiere was conducted by Franz Liszt. It was not until 1861 that Wagner himself heard a performance of the opera, and heard for the first time the famous bridal chorus that we just heard!