Opera for Everyone, Ep. 138 – Rienzi, The Last of the Tribunes by Wagner
Aired: January 12, 2026
Host: Pat Wright
Guests: Kathleen Vanderwilt & Grant
Episode Overview
In this expansive, engaging episode, Pat Wright and guest co-hosts Kathleen and Grant dive deep into Richard Wagner’s early and epic opera, Rienzi, The Last of the Tribunes. The trio brings together history, literary roots, political context, and keen musical insights to examine Wagner’s rarely performed work—a monumental opera set in 14th-century Rome that paved the way for Wagner’s career-defining masterpieces. This episode is a feast of storytelling, context, analysis, and humor, making even Wagner’s densest drama accessible and thoroughly engaging.
Main Discussion Segments & Key Points
1. Setting the Stage: Wagner’s Grand Experiment
[00:45–07:02]
- Wagner’s Rienzi is a grand opera in the French style: five acts, massive scale, endless choruses, and a huge cast—intended for European-wide appeal.
- The opera is based on Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s 1835 novel, Rienzi, The Last of the Tribunes.
- Wagner wrote both the libretto and music, a rarity for composers.
- Pat highlights Wagner’s complicated politics: “He was a staunch German nationalist... and nationalism was in the air in Europe in the mid 19th century.” [04:25]
- Rienzi pre-dates Wagner’s shift to Germanic myth-based “music dramas.”
Grant [06:03]: “When you look at Rienzi, it’s easy to see him either as a proto-liberal... or as a proto-fascist, as this strong man who was trying to say he was the solution to all problems.”
2. Origins and Historical Webs
[07:02–17:32]
- Rienzi centers on Cola di Rienzi, a real 14th-century Roman who tried to revive Rome’s republican ideals.
- The character’s ideals—equality before the law, people’s rights—are revolutionary for the medieval setting.
- The team connects Rienzi to larger European political currents—emerging nationalism and the coming revolutions of 1848.
- Grant outlines Rome’s long legacy, spinning from ancient republic, empire, and its medieval echoes, all resonating with Wagner’s 19th-century audience.
Kathleen [17:33]: “You feel like there’s a thread we can follow all the way back... the 14th century, then in turn looking back to the glories of ancient Rome and empire... Wagner does a fantastic job just to set things off.”
3. Act I – Tumult and Tribunes
[13:30–47:08]
- The opera opens with warring Roman families (the Orsini and Colonna) attempting to abduct Irene, Rienzi’s sister, echoing Romeo and Juliet and Roman legends like Lucretia.
- Irene’s symbolism—her very name means “peace”—is crucial.
- Adriano, son of the Colonna, protects Irene (potential romance, noble vs. plebeian).
- Rienzi’s entrance marks the arrival of order; as tribune (a title invoking the ancient Roman defenders of the commoners), he calls for justice and respect for the law.
- The church (Cardinal Raimondo) and the people’s chorus become important supporters as Rienzi promises peace and order.
Pat [25:38]: “The authoritative voice was Rienzi himself coming to calm the scene down... He respects the authority of the church. It might not be mutual as it goes along.”
- The act ends with Rienzi refusing to be crowned king, insisting on the restoration of republican institutions instead.
Kathleen [46:26]: “Unless perhaps the idea of someone being proclaimed king by a mob raises any red flags for you. It does for me, just a little bit.”
4. Act II – Conspiracy and Mercy
[49:01–54:46]
- The mood remains jubilant but opposition brews: the nobles, now united by common cause against Rienzi, plot his downfall.
- Adriano faces a wrenching conflict—betray his family for the cause or reveal the conspiracy.
- International ambassadors pledge support to Rienzi, echoing his brief, real-life political success.
Grant [52:42]: “From our modern standpoint, you hear the word traitor and you think... traitor to a nation. But here he’s choosing to be loyal to his nation... but to betray his family, which in his nobility-inflected world is the default.”
- Confrontation: Orsini attempts to assassinate Rienzi at a great public festival, but Rienzi survives thanks to Adriano’s warning and chain mail.
- Rienzi chooses mercy, pardoning the conspirators despite his supporters’ demands for executions. Tension surfaces between his high ideals and the practicalities of rule.
Kathleen [71:17]: “It’s too modern and ideal to be honest, and maybe still too modern.”
5. Act III – Blood and Disillusion
[75:53–91:22]
- The pardoned nobles flee and revolt; Rienzi must now face them in battle.
- The people’s faith in Rienzi falters: “If you had executed them, that would have been clean... now it’s our blood that has to pay for it.” [77:16]
- Adriano, torn and bereft, is now fatherless after the battle: the people overcome the nobles, but suffer terrible losses.
- Rienzi’s choices come back to haunt him as even his most ardent supporters (Baroncelli, Cecco) begin to turn.
- Theme: The people supported a strongman to avoid suffering—now, in the process, they suffer even more.
Grant [90:41]: “Everybody wants to follow the charismatic leader until the point where the charismatic leader starts asking things of them... and sometimes those things are terrible prices paid for the leader’s vanity.”
6. Act IV – Isolation and Excommunication
[91:22–100:21]
- Rienzi loses crucial international backing after demanding Roman involvement in imperial elections.
- The church excommunicates him and his followers.
- Adriano, seeking vengeance for his father and rejected by Irene, joins with Rienzi’s enemies.
- Rienzi is now surrounded only by his loyal sister as the world collapses around him.
Pat [100:03]: “He has lost the unanimous support of the people... the support of the church and Germany... his foreign allies... one after another, he finds himself more and more isolated.”
7. Act V – The End of Rienzi
[102:40–120:13]
- Rienzi, abandoned by all but Irene, prays for understanding and guidance (“God, you made me great. Why did you give me all this power?” [109:26]).
- The people, led by his former friends, burn the palace; Rienzi, Irene, and ultimately Adriano (failed in all his roles) perish in the flames.
- The cycle of violence and populist disappointment is complete.
Kathleen [116:32]: “They see themselves as holy martyrs in this moment.”
Grant [117:11]: “We can critique the opera and Wagner himself... these ideas, the great man who comes in and changes history, are dangerous.”
Historical & Literary Context
[65:03–67:05; 106:37–109:26]
- Wagner’s Rienzi owed a stylistic debt to Meyerbeer and the French grand opera tradition.
- Wagner later distanced himself from this opera, turning toward Germanic themes and “music drama” rather than opera.
- The novel’s author, Bulwer-Lytton, is best remembered for coining phrases like “It was a dark and stormy night,” “the pen is mightier than the sword,” and “the great unwashed.”
- Historically, Rienzi was later reinterpreted as an Italian nationalist hero, a proto-Garibaldi, and his story would be co-opted by later movements—including, notoriously, by Adolf Hitler.
Notable & Memorable Quotes
- Pat [04:25]: “Wagner was a staunch German nationalist and nationalism was in the air in Europe in the mid 19th century... Wagner however, takes this to some great extremes.”
- Grant [06:03]: “It is easy to see Rienzi either as a proto-liberal... or as a proto-fascist.”
- Kathleen [21:47]: “There is this sister bond, which I think in a lot of ways hearkens back to Antigone, et cetera.”
- Pat [39:00]: “I want Rome to be great and free. I want to awaken it from its sleep... I will make a free citizen of Rome, that great mass of the populace.”
- Grant [90:41]: “Everybody wants to follow the charismatic leader until... the charismatic leader starts asking things of them. Sometimes those things are terrible prices paid for the leader’s vanity.”
- Kathleen [116:32]: “He’s not creating another beautiful bel canto doomed romance. Instead, he has something that he thinks is greater than that... He wants to talk about family and citizenship.”
Rich Moments & Running Commentary
Hilarity
- On Wagner and Meyerbeer
“Rienzi, that was Meyerbeer’s best opera.” [66:43] —“What a sick burn.” [66:45] - “Can Rienzi handle being offered this power? When you offer a man ultimate power and give him all of his laurels, does he resist forever?” [48:57]
Epiphanies
- The analysis of how Adriano, despite idealism, remains trapped by heritage and societal expectations [79:48ff].
- Kathleen’s reflection, “You can never go back... We all know you can never go back. And we also know that Rome fell. So trying to build again a version of the thing that failed...[has] impending doom there.” [47:34]
- Exploring the dangers and fascination of the “great man” theory, and its dark inspiration for later figures.
Suggested Listening – Critical Excerpts
- Rienzi Overture: [07:02–13:30] – Monumental opening, sets themes that recur throughout the opera.
- Trio (Rienzi, Irene, Adriano): [39:36–40:47] – Explores personal and political ideals.
- Lateran Choir: [43:04–44:09] – Uplifting choral vision of new hope.
- Battle Songs and Lamentations: [83:07–88:46] – Women’s prayer and aftermath of battle.
Final Thoughts
The hosts tie together the grand arc of Rienzi as both a cautionary tale and an aspirational one—about the cyclical nature of populism, the dangers (and allure) of the charismatic strongman, the price of attempting to revive lost glory, and the ever-present tension between idealism and political reality.
This episode exemplifies Opera for Everyone’s mission: opera truly made understandable, enjoyable, and compelling—blending cultural critique, history, and a palpable love of music and storytelling.
For listeners:
Rienzi may be rarely staged, but its overture is celebrated, and its story—of ambition, hope, and downfall—remains ever relevant. Whether you’re a Wagner aficionado or opera newbie, the insights and wit in this episode will bring Rome, Wagner, and grand opera to life.
Key Timestamps
- 00:45 – Setting up Wagner’s Rienzi and the era
- 13:30 – Opening scene, Romeo & Juliet echoes, Irene’s predicament
- 25:38 – Rienzi asserts his authority, broaches law and justice
- 39:36 – Trio explores ideals for a new Rome
- 46:26 – Rienzi refuses the crown; worrying foreshadowing discussed
- 50:33 – Nobles plot; Adriano torn between family and ideals
- 67:17 – The assassination attempt; Rienzi’s mercy
- 75:53 – Act 3: The escape and ensuing civil war
- 91:22 – Loss of support, church excommunication, Rienzi in isolation
- 109:26 – Rienzi’s Act V prayer
- 114:39 – The tragic finale; all is lost
“Opera can be challenging, but everyone loves a good story, and a story set to music is even better.” – Kathleen [123:44]