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Anywhere-Anytime
Signals and Systems Laboratory
From MATLAB to Smartphones
Second Edition
Synthesis Lectures on Signal
Processing
Editor
José Moura, Carnegie Mellon University
Synthesis Lectures in Signal Processing publishes 80- to 150-page books on topics of interest to
signal processing engineers and researchers. The Lectures exploit in detail a focused topic. They can
be at different levels of exposition-from a basic introductory tutorial to an advanced
monograph-depending on the subject and the goals of the author. Over time, the Lectures will
provide a comprehensive treatment of signal processing. Because of its format, the Lectures will
also provide current coverage of signal processing, and existing Lectures will be updated by authors
when justified.
Lectures in Signal Processing are open to all relevant areas in signal processing. They will cover
theory and theoretical methods, algorithms, performance analysis, and applications. Some Lectures
will provide a new look at a well established area or problem, while others will venture into a brand
new topic in signal processing. By careful reviewing the manuscripts we will strive for quality both
in the Lectures’ contents and exposition.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations
in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Anywhere-Anytime Signals and Systems Laboratory: From MATLAB to Smartphones, Second Edition
Nasser Kehtarnavaz, Fatemeh Saki, and Adrian Duran
www.morganclaypool.com
DOI 10.2200/S00879ED2V01Y201810SPR015
Lecture #15
Series Editor: José Moura, Carnegie Mellon University
Series ISSN
Print 1932-1236 Electronic 1932-1694
Anywhere-Anytime
Signals and Systems Laboratory
From MATLAB to Smartphones
Second Edition
M
&C Morgan & cLaypool publishers
ABSTRACT
A typical undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum incorporates a signals and systems
course. The widely used approach for the laboratory component of such courses involves the
utilization of MATLAB to implement signals and systems concepts. This book presents a newly
developed laboratory paradigm where MATLAB codes are made to run on smartphones, which
most students already possess. This smartphone-based approach enables an anywhere-anytime
platform for students to conduct signals and systems experiments. This book covers the labora-
tory experiments that are normally covered in signals and systems courses and discusses how to
run MATLAB codes for these experiments on both Android and iOS smartphones, thus en-
abling a truly mobile laboratory environment for students to learn the implementation aspects
of signals and systems concepts.
A zipped file of the codes discussed in the book can be acquired via the website http://si
tes.fastspring.com/bookcodes/product/SignalsSystemsBookcodesSecondEdition.
KEYWORDS
smartphone-based signals and systems laboratory; anywhere-anytime platform for
signals and system courses; from MATLAB to smartphones
vii
Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
1 Introduction to MATLAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Starting MATLAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1.1 Arithmetic Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1.2 Vector Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.1.3 Complex Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1.4 Array Indexing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.1.5 Allocating Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.1.6 Special Characters and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.1.7 Control Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.1.8 Programming in MATLAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.1.9 Sound Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.1.10 Loading and Saving Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.1.11 Reading Wave and Image Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.1.12 Signal Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.2 MATLAB Programming Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.2.1 Signal Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.2.2 Generating a Periodic Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.3 Lab Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
xi
Preface
A typical undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum incorporates a signals and systems
course where students normally first encounter signal processing concepts of convolution,
Fourier series, Fourier transform, and discrete Fourier transform. For the laboratory component
of such courses, the conventional approach has involved a laboratory environment consisting of
computers running MATLAB codes. There exist a number of lab textbooks or manuals for the
laboratory component of signals and systems courses based on MATLAB, e.g., An Interactive
Approach to Signals and Systems Laboratory by Kehtarnavaz, Loizou, and Rahman; Signals and
Systems Laboratory with MATLAB by Palamides and Veloni; Signals and Systems: A Primer with
MATLAB by Sadiku and Ali; and Signals and Systems by Mitra.
The motivation for writing this lab textbook or manual has been to provide an alternative
laboratory approach to the above conventional laboratory approach by using smartphones as a
truly mobile anywhere-anytime platform for students to run signals and systems codes written
in MATLAB on smartphones. This approach eases the requirement of using a dedicated lab-
oratory room for signals and systems courses and allows students to use their own laptop and
smartphones as the laboratory platform to learn the implementation aspects of signals and sys-
tems concepts. It is worth stating that this book is only meant as an accompanying lab book to
signals and systems textbooks and is not meant to be used as a substitute for these textbooks.
The challenge in developing this alternative approach has been to limit the programming
language required from students to MATLAB and not requiring them to know any other pro-
gramming language. MATLAB is extensively used in engineering departments and students are
often expected to use it for various courses they take during their undergraduate studies.
The above challenge is met here by using the smartphone software tools that are publicly
available. The software development environments of smartphones (both Android and iOS) are
free of charge and students can download and place them on their own laptops to be able to
run signals and systems algorithms written in MATLAB on their own smartphones. In this
lecture series book, we have developed the software shells that allow students to take MATLAB
codes written on a laptop and run them on their own smartphones as apps. In the first edition
of the book, the implementation was done on Android smartphones. In this second edition, in
addition to Android smartphones, the implementation is done on iOS smartphones.
The book chapters correspond to the following labs for a semester-long lab course consid-
ering that a typical signals and systems laboratory component includes labs 4–7: (1) introduc-
tion to MATLAB programming; (2) smartphone development tools (both Andorid and iOS);
(3) use of MATLAB Coder to generate C codes from MATLAB and how to run C codes
xii PREFACE
on smartphones as apps; (4) linear time-invariant systems and convolution; (5) Fourier series;
(6) continuous-time Fourier transform; and (7) digital signals and discrete Fourier transform.
Note that a zipped file of all the codes discussed in the book can be acquired from
the website http://sites.fastspring.com/bookcodes/product/SignalsSystemsBookc
odesSecondEdition.
As a final note, we wish to acknowledge Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Com-
puter Science at the University of Texas at Dallas for the support we received while writing this
second edition.
CHAPTER 1
Introduction to MATLAB
MATLAB is a programming environment that is widely used to solve engineering problems.
There are many online references on MATLAB that one can read to become familiar with this
programming environment. This chapter is only meant to provide an overview or a brief intro-
duction to MATLAB. Screenshots are used to show the steps to be taken and configuration
options to set when using the Windows operating system.
+ addition
- subtraction
2 1. INTRODUCTION TO MATLAB
Workspace:
View variables that
are created and
stored during a
MATLAB session
Command History:
View or run
previously executed
functions
* multiplication
/ division (for matrices, it also means inversion)
>> a=1.2;
>> b=2.3;
>> c=4.5;
>> d=4;
>> a^3+sqrt(b*d)-4*c
ans =
-13.2388
Note the semicolon after each variable assignment. If the semicolon is omitted, the interpreter
echoes back the variable value.
x: y D Œx1 y1 ; x2 y2 ; :::; xn yn
x1 x2 xn
x:=y D ; ; :::;
y1 y2 yn
x: ^ p D Œx1 p ; x2 p ; :::; xn p :
Considering that the boldfacing of vectors/matrices are not used in .m files, in the notation
adopted in this book, no boldfacing of vectors/matrices is shown to retain notation consistency
with .m files.
The arithmetic operators C and can be used to add or subtract matrices, vectors, or
scalars. Vectors denote 1-dimensional arrays and matrices denote multi-dimensional arrays. For
example:
6 1. INTRODUCTION TO MATLAB
>> x=[1,3,4]
>> y=[4,5,6]
>> x+y
ans=
5 8 10
In this example, the operator C adds the elements of the vectors x and y, element by
element, assuming that the two vectors have the same dimension, in this case, or 1 3 one row
with three columns. An error occurs if one attempts to add vectors having different dimensions.
The same applies for matrices.
P
To compute the dot product of two vectors (in other words, xi yi ), use the multiplication
i
operator '*' as follows:
>> x*y'
ans =
43
Note the single quote after y denotes the transpose of a vector or a matrix.
An element-by-element multiplication of two vectors (or two arrays) is computed by the
following operator:
>> x .* y
ans =
4 15 24
This notation creates a vector starting from 1–6, in steps of 1. If a vector from 1–6 in steps of 2
is desired, then type:
>> x=1:2:6
ans =
1 3 5
One can easily extract numbers in a vector. To concatenate an array, the example below
shows how to use the operator '[ ]' :
>> x=[1:3 4 6 100:110]
>> y=zeros(100,1);
>> y(30)
ans =
0
The function zeros(n,m) creates an nm matrix with all 0 elements. One can allocate memory
for 2-dimensional arrays (matrices) in a similar fashion. The command or function
>> y=zeros(4,5)
defines a 4 by 5 matrix.
Similar to the command zeros , the command ones can be used to define a vector
containing all ones. For example,
>> y=ones(1,5)
ans=
1 1 1 1 1
>> x=1:10;
>> length(x)
ans =
10
The function find returns the indices of a vector that are non-zero. For example,
I = find(x>4) finds all the indices of x greater than 4. Thus, for the above example:
>> find(x>4)
ans =
5 6 7 8 9 10
1.1. STARTING MATLAB 9
Table 1.1: Some widely used special characters used in m-files
Symbol Meaning
pi π (3.14.....)
^ indicates power (for example, 3^2 = 9)
NaN not-a-number, obtained when encountering undefined operations, such as 0/0
Inf represents +∞
; indicates the end of a row in a matrix; also used to suppress printing on the screen
(echo off )
% comments—anything to the right of % is ignored by the .m file interpreter and is
considered to be comments
' denotes transpose of a vector or a matrix; also used to define strings, for example,
str1 = 'DSP'
… denotes continuation; three or more periods at the end of a line continue current
function to next line
Function Meaning
sqrt indicates square root, for example, sqrt(4) = 2
abs absolute value |.|, for example, abs(-3) = 3
length length(x) gives the dimension of the array x
sum finds sum of the elements of a vector
find finds indices of nonzero
• if statements
• switch statements
• for loops
• while loops
• break statements
10 1. INTRODUCTION TO MATLAB
The constructs if , for , switch , and while need to terminate with an end state-
ment. Examples are provided below:
if
>> x=-3;
if x>0
str='positive'
elseif x<0
str='negative'
elseif x== 0
str='zero'
else
str='error'
end
The above code computes the sum of all the numbers from 1–10.
break
With the break statement, one can exit early from a for or a while loop. For example,
>> x=-10;
while x<0
x=x+2;
if x == -2
break;
1.1. STARTING MATLAB 11
end
end
Some of the supported relational and logical operators are listed in Tables 1.3 and 1.4.
Symbol Meaning
<= less than equal
< less than
>= greater than equal
> greater than
== equal
~= not equal
Symbol Meaning
& AND
| OR
~ NOT
Figure 1.6: m-file script interactive window after running the program average.
>> t=0:1/8000:1;
>> x=cos(2*pi*400*t);
>> sound(x,8000);
The function randn generates Gaussian noise with zero mean and unit variance.
The vector x gets loaded in memory. To see memory contents, use the command whos :
>> whos
Variable Dimension Type
x 1x8000 double array
The command whos gives a list of all the variables currently in memory, along with their
dimensions and data type. In the above example, x contains 8,000 samples.
To clear up memory after loading a file, type clear all when done. This is important
because, if one does not clear all the variables, conflicts can occur with other codes using the
same variables.
This command reads a .wav file specified by the string filename and returns the sampled data
in y with the sampling rate of Fs (in Hertz).
14 1. INTRODUCTION TO MATLAB
To read an image file, use the following command:
>> [y]=imread('filename')
This command reads a grayscale or color image from the string filename and returns the
image data in the array y.
>> plot(x,y)
This function creates a 2-D line plot of the data in y vs. corresponding x values.
2 2
0 1 2 3 t 0 1 2 3 t
To simulate this signal, use the MATLAB functions ones and zeros . The signal value is zero
during the first second, which means the first 1,000 samples are zero. This portion of the signal
is simulated with the function zeros(1,1000) . In the next second (next 1,000 samples), the
signal value is 2, and this portion is simulated by the function 2*ones(1,1000) . Finally, the
third portion of the signal is simulated by the function zeros(1,1000) . In other words, the
entire duration of the signal is simulated by the following .m file function:
A linearly increasing or decreasing vector can thus be used to represent the linear portions.
The time vectors for the three portions or segments of the signal are 0:dt:1-dt , 1:dt:2-dt ,
and 2:dt:3-dt . The first segment is a linear function corresponding to a time vector with a
slope of 2; the second segment is a linear function corresponding to a time vector with a slope
of 2 and an offset of 4; and the third segment is simply a constant vector of zeros. In other
words, the entire duration of the signal for any value of dt can be simulated by the following .m
file function:
x2=[2*(0:dt:(1-dt)) -2*(1:dt:(2-dt))+4 zeros(1,1/dt)]
Figures 1.8 and 1.9 show the MATLAB code and the plot of the above signal gener-
ation, respectively. Signals can be displayed using the function plot(t,data) . For proper
plotting, first the correct t vector needs to be generated. Here this is done by using the function
linspace :
>> t=linspace(0,E,N)
16 1. INTRODUCTION TO MATLAB
This function generates a vector t of N points linearly spaced between and including 0 and
E , where N is equal to E/dt .
1.2. MATLAB PROGRAMMING EXAMPLES 17
1.2.2 GENERATING A PERIODIC SIGNAL
In this example, a simple periodic signal is generated. This example involves generating a periodic
signal in textual mode and displaying it graphically. The shape of the signal ( sin , square ,
triangle , or sawtooth ) can be modified, as well as its frequency and amplitude, by using
appropriate control parameters. The MATLAB code and the plots generated by it are shown in
Figures 1.10 and 1.11, respectively.
Now consider an m-file code to generate four types of waveforms using the functions
sin , square , and sawtooth . To change the amplitude and frequency of the waveforms,
two control parameters named Amplitude ( A ) and Frequency ( f ) are used. Waveform Type
( w ) is another parameter used for controlling the waveform type. With this control parameter,
one can select from multiple inputs. Finally, the waveforms are displayed by using the function
plot .
Most masters who have left the world richer for having lived, were
born in poverty and knew the sorrows of privation, not so with Felix
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809–1847), loved by the many who have
played his Songs Without Words, or who have heard Elman’s fingers
fly over his violin in the concerto, said to be the best writing ever
done for that instrument.
Popular as are many works from the polished and fluent pen of
Mendelssohn, the oratorios Elijah and Saint Paul are noble for these
contain some of the most dramatic and inspired writing. In that work
which is typical of Mendelssohn and his personality, he showed more
characteristics of the older classical school than of the romantic. If he
had lived during the classical period he would have been a greater
composer, for he was romantic by influence and classic in taste.
Has not the Spring Song the shimmer of spring and the Spinning
Song the whir of the wheels? One can easily imagine the kindly touch
of a loving hand in Consolation, while the Hunting Song is alive and
going. This is the romantic music that became the model for
thousands of small pieces.
It in said frequently that if Mendelssohn had been less
conventional, his work would have been more forceful, because he
had much that was truly fine.
Mendelssohn lived among the most brilliant literary lights of his
day. His refinement was reflected in his music. He was petted by an
adoring father, mother and sisters, who gave him every opportunity
to study and compose, and he was much sought after socially. He
devoted much time to the study of languages, sketching in water
colors and traveling in Italy and Switzerland. His sister Fanny, whose
musical education was of the utmost assistance to her brother whom
she idolized, would have been famous but for her father’s prejudice
against women in professional life. She was a gifted composer and it
is claimed that she wrote many of her brother’s songs and some of
the Songs Without Words.
Her death was a mortal blow from which Mendelssohn never
recovered. Extremely sensitive, his affection for his family was most
intense and filled his life.
His grandfather was the eminent philosopher Moses Mendelssohn,
who being a Hebrew, was open to the sorrows caused by prejudice.
He was such a great man, however, that he succeeded in breaking
down barriers not only for himself, but for his race.
Abraham Mendelssohn was pleased to call himself, “First the son
of the famous Moses Mendelssohn, then the father of the eminent
Felix Mendelssohn.” His banking house in Berlin is still in the family.
The most noted musicians and artists were entertained in the
Mendelssohn home, and heard the compositions of the gifted young
man. In 1821 the boy was taken to Goethe’s home where he played
and improvised for the poet. He was delighted with him for his
musical talent, and because he had inherited the gift of conversation
and letters from his grandfather, of whom Goethe was very fond.
Young Mendelssohn never shocked the great old poet as did
Beethoven, for his manner was always correct.
In 1825 Mendelssohn went to Paris to Cherubini who was asked
whether his talent justified cultivation beyond the average stage. The
master was very enthusiastic, but his father would not leave him in
Paris, even in charge of the noted teacher. Returning to Berlin he
wrote the overture to Midsummer Night’s Dream (1826). It reflects
the dancing elves and the humor of Shakespeare, while the orchestra
has a delicate touch, similar to that shown by Berlioz at the same
period. Mendelssohn was only seventeen when he wrote it, with all
its finish and its flawless musical treatment. Much that he did at that
period shows his natural flow of genius. Music seemed to gush from
his soul like pure, fresh water from a spring, making one think of
cool fountains, sparkling with melody and clarity. These qualities are
also in the Fingal’s Cave or Hebrides overture, and he takes you on
his delightful trips in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage. The way
these numbers reflect his impressions and the way he transmitted
them to others is typical of the Romantic School. The purity of his
musical form related him to the classical and gave inklings of the
Symphonic Tone Poem.
In his symphonies Mendelssohn also told tales of his travels, as in
the Italian Symphony, and in his Scotch Symphony in which he
made use of Scotch folk tunes. He also wrote much chamber music.
He left some piano concertos which may not attract the professionals
of today but are the joy of many piano students who play them
arranged for two pianos.
Mendelssohn tried operas but like many others failed to find a
good libretto. This was the trouble with one he produced in Berlin.
Added to this there were many intrigues and jealousies at the opera
house which turned him bitterly against that city.
However, he accomplished one of the greatest things ever done for
music. The works of Bach and Handel had been so neglected that
they were almost forgotten. He knew them well, and wanting others
to love them as he did, he assembled a great chorus and gave Bach’s
Passion according to Saint Matthew. This was the first performance
since Bach’s death, and it brought these works back to us. Imagine
Mendelssohn’s popularity and talent as a conductor to have been
able to do this at the age of twenty! Then he traveled again, and after
roaming through Italy, Switzerland and France, he went to London
where he created a stir as pianist, composer and conductor. Besides
his splendid education he had a winsome and attractive personality,
and his success was very great. He made, in all, nine visits to
England.
Having been brought up in the Christian faith, he married the
daughter of a French Protestant minister and had five children. They
went to live in Germany and becoming conductor of the Leipsic
Gewandhaus orchestra, he made the city the musical center of
Germany. He founded the Leipsic Conservatory of Music (1843),
where he gave his old teacher Moscheles an important post. This
conservatory is well known here for many American musicians of the
last generation were educated there.
Mendelssohn conducted many festivals and he always aroused new
interest in Bach, whom he presented at every opportunity.
His Saint Paul had success in Duesseldorf (1837), and during his
last visit to England (1846), he gave at the Birmingham festival
Elijah, second today in popularity only to Handel’s Messiah.
When Mendelssohn returned to Leipsic, he showed traces of
overwork and the death of his sister coming at the same time, made
him unable to resist the strain. He died November 4, 1847, when only
38. His happy life shines through his music so full of beauty and
sunshine.
Schumann—The Supreme Poet
Franz Schubert.
After the Painting
by Bendemann.
Robert Schumann.
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.
After the Painting
by F. V. Delacroix.
Frédéric Chopin.
(Romantic School.)
After a painting by
Lenbach.
Richard Wagner, the Wizard, called out of the past a vast company
of gods and goddesses, giants, knights and heroes, kings and queens.
He made them live for us with all their joys and sorrows, loves and
hates, in his great music dramas, for which he has been recognized as
one of the rare geniuses of the world.
Evoked by his music-magic they pass before us,—the gods and
heroes of Walhalla,—Wotan, Brünnhilde, valiant Siegfried, Pfafner
the giant who is turned into a dragon, Mime the dwarf, the Rhine
Maidens and the Valkyries; Parsifal the guileless youth who became
the Knight of the Holy Grail, and Lohengrin his son, the beautiful
knight who marries Elsa, a lady of rank of the Middle Ages.
We see the minnesingers Tannhäuser and Wolfram von
Eschenbach in one of their famous Minstrel Tournaments with the
hand of the lovely Elizabeth as a prize; we also meet the lovable
shoemaker-mastersinger Hans Sachs in Nüremberg, of the 16th
century, and David his merry apprentice, lovely Eva Pogner and the
charming knight Walter von Stolzing, and Beckmesser the clownish
mastersinger; then there are the imperious Irish Queen, Isolde and
Tristan, her lover, with Kurvenal his faithful servant. Wagner makes
not only the mythological persons relive but he brings back realistic
pictures of the everyday life and customs of the German people of the
Middle Ages.
Wagner had his idea of what opera should be and nothing short of
his ideal interested him. He kept to his purpose and accomplished
miraculous things whether he suffered or starved or was banished
from his country.
Richard was born at a time, favorable for hearing and knowing the
Viennese composers of the 18th and early 19th centuries, who had
increased the importance of the orchestra. He could hear too the
music of Schumann and Schubert, with all the new beauty and warm
feeling they radiated. This new depth appeared not only in the
orchestra but also in piano and vocal music. In Wagner’s time,
people felt deeply about everything,—science, philosophy, literature,
and especially politics; and many were the quarrels and discontents
among nations. Even our own country was torn by a cruel war.
Wagner listened to the works of Mozart and of Beethoven, whom
he admired immensely. He approved of Beethoven’s use of the
chorus in the Ninth Symphony, which had no little effect on his work
and ideals.
Among the people who most influenced Wagner was Gluck, who
first fought for sincerity and truth in opera drama. Gluck did not
have the advantage of the grown up orchestra and freer forms, yet
Gluck did so much to free opera that Wagner was fortunate indeed to
have come after him. Another great influence was Weber, who mixed
everyday story in a delightful play of fancy and picturesqueness.
Wagner, after hearing Weber’s Die Freischütz, was very much
impressed.
Meyerbeer, a contemporary, although rather artificial and always
working for effects, nevertheless showed Wagner the value of
gorgeous scenic productions. Wagner was fond of the stage, and
Meyerbeer’s big scenes sank into the mind of the young composer-
poet, who liked to be called a poet rather than a musician!
Musically, Franz Liszt was probably the greatest influence in
Wagner’s life and we often hear in Wagner’s works bits of melody
which remind us of Liszt.
It is not fair to say that he was great just because he followed
Gluck, Weber, and Mozart, for he brought music out of its old ruts
and was copied by hundreds of composers.
The hero of this chapter was born in Leipsic in 1813 and was the
youngest of nine children. His father died shortly after his birth and
his mother married an actor playwright named Geyer and they all
went to live in Dresden. His stepfather felt that Richard had musical
gifts and he proved a very kind and wise parent. He died when the
boy was only eight.
Richard must have been a most interesting little chap, for he
always did everything with what we would call “pep” and persistence.
He loved poetry and was devoted to the theatre. His stepfather had
always allowed him to go “back stage” at the playhouse, so the youth
became familiar with stage craft, which he used later in producing
his music dramas.
He read the Greek and German poets and dramatists at a very
early age. He was the first of the musical geniuses to be trained in the
arts before he started music. So we can picture a little chap, “stage-
struck,” studying when he should, seeing plays when he could, and
listening to the works of Weber and Beethoven which enchanted
him, and storing up ideas, but as yet showing no great leaning
toward music as a profession.
The family moved back to Leipsic in 1827 where he went to school
until he entered the university in 1831. He heard much orchestral
music and became so deeply charmed with Beethoven, that he copied
the Ninth Symphony from a score, to become familiar with it. The
Ninth Symphony with chorale takes about two hours to perform,
imagine how long it took to copy it! An instance of the wizard’s
energy and “stick-to-it-iveness”!