A huge panorama of Richard Wagner's life and work, from before the 1848 revolution, through his exile in Switzerland, his rescue by the besotted King Ludwig II of Bavaria, to the final ...
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Top-Rated Episodes
S1.E10
Construction on the opera house in Bayreuth begins and his epic Der Ring des Nibelungen can finally be premiered. The performance is attended by Ludwig who is slowly losing his mind, while living in ...
S1.E2
After refusing to join her husband for quite some time, Minna eventually agrees to move to Zürich to be reunited with Wagner. She manages to persuade Wagner to start conducting and composing again ...
S1.E9
Wagner and Cosima are overjoyed by the birth of their son, Siegfried. Meanwhile, Germany continues its war with France, which finally ends months later in January 1871 with a victory for Prussia and ...
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Title: Wagner (1981– )
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A huge panorama of Richard Wagner's life and work, from before the 1848 revolution, through his exile in Switzerland, his rescue by the besotted King Ludwig II of Bavaria, to the final triumph at Bayreuth. Richard Wagner's radical musical and political ideas, his German nationalism, and even his anti-Semitism are set in the context of his life and times. Written by Adrian Thorpe <acthorpe@epic.net>
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Trivia
This mini-series was not shown until the autumn of 1984, due to concerns that it was too long and boring. It was widely felt that it would never have been released at all were it not for Richard Burton's death in the summer of that year. This mini-series was then broadcast as a tribute to him. See more »Goofs
When Ludwig is wading into the water to drown himself, automobiles are seen driving on a highway on the far shore. See more »Alternate Versions
The version screened on British TV features Andrew Cruickshank as narrator, not Donald Moffat. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
December 1983 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Wagner - Das Leben und Werk Richard Wagners See more »Company Credits
Production Co:
Hungarofilm, London Trust, Magyar Televízió Müvelödési Föszerkesztöség (MTV) (I) See more »
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With a stupendous cast headed by Richard Burton, this film takes on the life of Wagner and seems to raise the same complaints his audience had regarding his operas: long bacchanals of passion and excess. Art imitates life? You bet! Burton's monologues are brilliant as usual (I'm a long-time Burton fan) full of emotion and brilliantly performed. As to why everyone including royalty continued to support and love his music, chosing to ignore for the most part his despicible life in which he treated everyone shabbily including his wife, lovers, patrons, etc. . . .is it any different today? Don't we love our music/film icons ignoring their dark side? This film also made me want to rush to history books to read more about the era, especially about the young king of Bavaria. Take two nights to watch the video.