Search - Famous Composers - Richard Wagner on DVD

Very good for what it is

Mr John Haueisen | WORTHINGTON, OHIO United States | 01/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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.
"