Wagner composed the Siegfried Idyll as a birthday present to his second wife, Cosima, after the birth of their son Siegfried in 1869. It was first performed on Christmas morning, 25 December 1870, by a small ensemble of the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich on the stairs of their villa at Tribschen (today part of Lucerne), Switzerland. Cosima awoke to its opening melody. Conductor Hans Richter played the brief trumpet part in that private performance.
| Date of composition | 1870 |
| Premiered | 1870, December 25th in Tribschen, Lucerne, Switzerland |
| First published | 1878, B. Schott |
| Dedicated to | Cosima Wagner |
| Type | Symphonic Poem |
| Catalogue | WWV 103 |
| Instruments | Chamber orchestra |
| Links | |
| Autotranslations beta |
Richard Wagner: Siegfried-Idyll, WWV 103 Richard Wagner: Siegfried-Idyll, WWV 103 Richard Wagner: Siegfried-Idyll, WWV 103 |