Product Details

• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Kultur Video
• DVD Release Date: December 20, 2005
• Run Time: 35 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B000BZITA2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,666 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Wagner is considered one of the greatest of the late 19th century operatic composers. Using German legends and myths as a basis for his librettos, he combined impassioned, romantic music with drama to create works of stunning theatricality. He pioneered a new synthesis of music, verse, and staging -- what he called a Gesamtkunstwerk. One prolific period of his career is highlighted by Der Fliegende Holländer and Tannhäuser which he had performed in Dresden. This period of success ended when his participation in revolutionary political activities forced him to flee to Switzerland. His exile from Germany marked the start of a new period during which he also wrote several treatsies on the nature of opera. The Ring, one of his purest theatrical dramas, took shape during this time. Making great stylistic departures from his predecessors, Wagner was considered controversial for not maintaining what had been a slow, but consistent musical evolution. However, no one doubts his influence in retrospect, which is particularly apparent in Tristan and Isolde and Parsifal. The latter was performed in 1882 with a ceremony normally accorded to religious events. Wagner was supported by the eccentric young Bavarian King Ludwig II who made possible the performances of all Wagner’s mature works and built a theater of Wagner’s own design for him.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good for what it is, January 21, 2007

By 

Mr John Haueisen (WORTHINGTON, OHIO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Famous Composers - Richard Wagner (DVD)

How do you tell the life of a music giant like Richard Wagner in 30 minutes? Yes, you're right--it's next to impossible.

But for the sake of those who don't want to read a long scholarly
book, this does a very good job of providing a vignette of the composer's life.

With photographs of Wagner and his contemporaries, and video of present-day sights, this program does a better than expected telling of the Wagner story in 30 minutes.
So, how much can you accomplish in a half hour?

They tell about his music and the people and events that influenced his life and his giant ego. They even touch on his anti-Semitism, possible causes of it, and the irony that Wagner himself likely had Jewish bloodlines.

The first time I watched this I was disppointed, as I thought of all that they had left out. But the second time I watched it, as I remembered what a musical giant Wagner had been, I marvelled at how much they had managed to cover. This is a really good overview of Wagner's life and importance.