Richard Wagner. La Spezia, Italy, 2019

In the summer of 1853, the German composer Richard Wagner stayed at one of the oldest hotels in La Spezia. It was here that he composed Das Rheingold, the prologue to his famous tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen. Familiar with the works of Aidyn Zeinalov, the city commissioned the sculptor to make a monument to Wagner, which was unveiled in the spring of 2019. Wagner is depicted in a moment of inspiration, seated in a luxurious chair with a quill in his hand. The opening was attended by officials from the German town of Bayreuth, La Spezia’s twin town known for its annual music festival, at which performances of Wagner’s operas are presented.