Sentence:  Herrmann, like many <WSD>Wagnerites</WSD>, started listening to opera as a youngster: "My father played the old 78 rpm recordings for me, and had me read the Edda [Old Norse sagas, one of Wagner's major sources for his 'Ring']." 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An admirer of (Richard Wagner) and/or his work.