Director: Carl Froelich
Act I: Youth
At the age of 8, Richard Wagner stood at the deathbed of his stepfather Ludwig Geyer, who asked himself anxiously:
"Is Richard talented?"
Two years later, Richard is in Leipzig with his uncle Adolph and aunt Friederike.
One night he sleeps in the bed of August the Strong at the house of Jeanette Thome.
At the age of 17, Wagner studies with cantor Theodor Weinlig in Leipzig.
During a festival celebrating the Polish revolutionaries' flight to Paris, Wagner discovers his conducting talent.
In 1834 Wagner takes his first job, as choirmaster in Bad Lauchstdt.
He is doing well, mainly due to his first love: the charming actress Minna Planer.
Here he conducts Mozart's "Don Juan".
The engagement of Wagner and Minna Planer takes place under unusual circumstances.
On the 21st of November, Wagner and his wife Minna move into their new shared apartment.
Everything is charged to credit, alarming the thrifty young wife.
INVOICE- for Mr. Choirmaster Wagner of Konogsberg. For furnishing an apartment, kindly allow payment of 247 Reichstaler.
Act II: Journey- and Wanderings
The creditor pursues Wagner to Riga, where in 1838 he takes the position of a musical director at a theater.
Wagner must sneak over the border, since he does not have a passport.
Dear Wagner! Please come at once! The police searched your house. Minna is in trouble. Your friend,
In 1839, Wagner fled by sea from Russia to Paris.
During the stormy crossing, thoughts of his opera "The Flying Dutchman" matured inside him.
In Paris Wagner played excerpts from his opera "Rienzi" for Meyerbeer.
Meyerbeer gave him a written recommendation to the director of a large operahouse.
Meyerbeer's recommendation exerts no influence on Director Duponchel.
Wagner's efforts to receive support from Liszt are also in vain.
Wagner enters into poverty. "The Flying Dutchman" torments his soul and the laments of his wife Minna drive him to despair.
But- when the poverty is at it's worst…
On October 20, 1842 Wagner's opera "Rienzi" was performed at the Dresden Royal Opera, and was a rare success.
At the age of 30, Wagner becomes Royal Saxon Court Conductor of the Dresden Opera.
Wagner, confident and optimistic, now renders his house extravagant, which returns his wife to fear and agony.
The fiasco of the premiere of "The Flying Dutchman" on January 2, 1843 seriously endangers Wagner's post.
Old and new worries affect his musical creation.
Complaints begin to pile up, resulting in Wagner's superior warning him of the king's displeasure.
On October 19, 1845, - to all misfortune,- his opera "Tannhäuser" is an even bigger fiasco with the public thanks to bad casting.
During this time Wagner leads an exchange of ideas with the Russian revolutionary Bakunin, temporarily residing in Dresden, over a reform in musical thought.
The royal musical director is tempted by the country's oppositional party to speak at a political meeting on "Freedom of art under free man".
In Dresden in 1849, we see Wagner as an active participant in street battles.
It is only due to coincidence that Wagner is not arrested with Heubner, Martin, and Bakunin, the members of the provisional revolutionary government, and can flee.
On the run, Wagner recieves a fake passport and some cash from Liszt in Weimar, allowing him to escape over the Swiss border.
WARRANT OF ARREST- Musical director Richard Wagner, who has fled abroad because of his participation in the riot at the court, for which he must answer here.
All police are requested to arrest him immediately the moment he re-enters the country.
Wagner is 37-38 years old, is middle weight and has long, brown hair.
Act III: In Exile
Wagner's exile in Zurich is a fuitful period for his work.
In November 1852, he reads from "The Ring of the Nibelung" to a circle of friends.
Tarnhelm (the magic helmet)
Brünnhilde and Siegfried
Wotan and Brünnhilde
Siegfried's Death
The ideal relationship between Wagner and his friend Wesendonck's wife inspires Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde".
Minna's jealousy and tactlessness destroys not only this friendship, but also her own marital happiness.
At the age of 45, Wagner seperates from Minna.
Lonesome and abandoned by all, he lives now for his art alone.
In a Stuttgart infirmary, the desperate and frustrated life of Wagner soldiers on.
Here, on May 3rd, 1864, he recieves a message from the young King Ludwig II of Bavaria which delivers him from loneliness.
The King of Bavaria speaks of his coninuing admiration for the great master and asks him to come immediately to Munich,
where he will find adequate housing and all the resources necessary to continue his work undisturbed.
Act IV: A Royal Friendship
In order to use the king's enthusaistic friendship with Richard Wagner for themselves, the Bavarian ministers try in vain to buy Wagner.
The dress rehearsal of "Tristan & Isolde" takes place with King Ludvig II as the sole audience, in his private theater in Munich.
The ministers and other hostile parties create more difficulty in Wagner's life with their attacks in the press.
Taking Mr. Wagner's particular circumstances into account, the amount requested is disbursed in small change.
At imeperial order, we herebye pay you 50,000 Thaler. As lifetime advance, free of interest.
Fellow citizens! An adventurer, the spy Richard Wagner, robs our country.
We ask Ludwig II to expel Wagner from our country. Every citizen signs this request to our king.
The Committee
Public opinion and his ministers' ultimatum force the king to remove Wagner from Munich.
My expensive friend,
As much suffering as it causes me, I must nevertheless now ask you to leave Munich with some haste.
Believe me, I must act so. My friendship to you is eternal.
Think of me also always in friendship. -because I say honestly,- I am worthy of it. What can separate us?
I know.- You feel as I do and will understand my pain. I cannot help it.
Believe me, never you doubt your best friend.
'Til death, Ludwig
In Triebschen, on Lake Lucerne, the master finds peace at last. Solace in solitude lends itself to the composition of the opera "Die Meistersinger".
Here he is visited by his royal friend.
Disappointed with life, Wagner has been working on his "Ring Cycle".
After her divorce from Hans von Bülow, Cosima steps into the life of the master.
With support from the town of Bayreuth, represented by mayor Munker and bank manager Feustel, Wagner is allowed in the years 1873 to 1875 to build his famous Festspielhaus.
Act V: Bayreuth
The Festspielhaus.
Extraordinary applause greeted the premiere here of "The Ring of the Nibelung" in 1876, attended by Ludwig II and Wilhelm I.
But only the incomparably good performance of Parsifal crowned the life's work of this immortal master.
Richard Wagner to King Ludwig II:
On February 13, 1883, Richard Wagner died in Venice in the arms of his wife Cosima.
On February 18th the burial took place in the Wahnfried House in Bayreuth.
End