Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes ( Rienzi, der Letzte der Tribunen ) is the title of Richard Wagner's fourth opera, composed between 1837 and 1840. Performed for the first time in Dresden on 20 October 1842, it was a triumph for the composer, who was still virtually unknown at the time, and who, thanks also to this success, secured the post of Kapellmeister at the Court Theatre. The enormous popularity achieved by the opera is due to the fact that, being one of Wagner's first works, it still sho...