Question: who wrote the texts or libretti of richard wagner's music dramas
Answer: Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( / ˈvɑːɡnər / ; German : ( ˈʁiçaʁt ˈvaːɡnɐ ) ( listen ) ; 22 May 1813 -- 13 February 1883 ) was a German composer , theatre director , polemicist , and conductor who is primarily known for his operas ( or , as some of his later works were later known , `` music dramas '' ) .