Richard Wagner published 2 novels, 5 non-fiction books, 7 plays and 6 other books, beginning with The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (1868).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Richard Wagner
Start here
The Mastersingers of Nuremberg
Richard Wagner's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Das Judenthum in Der Musik (1850)
Opera and Drama (1851)
Non-fiction in order
Actors and Singers (1872)
The Story of Bayreuth as Told in the Bayreuth Letters of Richard Wagner (1887)
Judaism in Music (1910)
Mein Leben (1923)
Plays in order
Tristan and Isolda, a Dramatic Poem by Richard Wagner (1859)
The Walkyre (1860)
Tannhäuser and the Tournament of Song at Wartburg (1868)
The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (1868)
Prose Works (1871)
Lohengrin (1873)
Opera & Drama (1913)
Other books in order
Beethoven (1870)
The Flying Dutchman (1876)
The Stories of Wagner's Operas (1916)
Letters of Richard Wagner. Selected and Edited by Wilhelm Altmann. Translated ... by M. M. Bozman. [With Portraits.] (1927)
On Conducting (2001)
The Artwork of the Future (2004)
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About Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor, best known for his operas, although his mature works are often referred to as music dramas. Unlike most composers, Wagner wrote both the libretti and the music for all of his stage works. He first achieved recognition with works in the Romantic tradition of Carl Maria von Weber and Giacomo Meyerbeer, but revolutionised the genre through his concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk, which sought to unite poetic, musical, visual, and dramatic elements. In that approach, the drama unfolds as a continuously sung narrative, with the music evolving organically from the text rather than alternating between arias and recitatives. Wagner outlined those ideas in a series of essays published between 1849 and 1852, most fully realising them in the first half of his four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Richard Wagner FAQ
- How many books has Richard Wagner written?
- Richard Wagner published 2 novels, 5 non-fiction books, 7 plays and 6 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Richard Wagner's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Mastersingers of Nuremberg.
- What is Richard Wagner's last book?
- Actors and Singers (1872).
- What is Richard Wagner's most famous book?
- The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (1868) is Richard Wagner's most widely read book.
- Does Richard Wagner write under a pen name?
- Yes: Richard Wagner has also published as H. Valentino and K. Freigedank.
- Can I read Richard Wagner's books for free?
- Yes. 11 books by Richard Wagner are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Richard Wagner
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.