Rienzi can be noted that "Rienzi" prefigures themes (brother/sister relationships, social order and revolution) to which Wagner was often to return in his later works. The success of "Rienzi" – his first real success of any kind – was crucial in Wagner's career, launching him as a composer to be reckoned with. It was followed, within months, by his appointment as Kapellmeister at the Dresden Opera (February 1843), which also gave him considerable prestige. It also received critical acclaim elsewhere in Europe. The young Eduard Hanslick, later to be one of Wagner's foremost critical adversaries, wrote in 1846 in Vienna: I
Composer of the Week With the "great composers", weeks dedicated to them tend to focus on a particular aspect of their life or works. The series has been written and presented by Donald Macleod since 1999. Composer of the Week Composer of the Week is a long-running biographical music programme broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Originally This Week's Composer, it was first broadcast on 2 August 1943 on the BBC Home Service, transferring to the BBC Third Programme in 1964 and changing title to "Composer of the Week" in 1988. In terms of longevity, it is only surpassed by "Desert Island Discs" (first heard