Women around Richard Wagner

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Movie
German title Women around Richard Wagner
Original title Magic Fire
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1955
length 94 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director William Dieterle
script Bertita Harding
Ewald André Dupont
David T. Chantler
production William Dieterle for Republic Productions, Inc., Hollywood
music Erich Wolfgang Korngold
camera Ernest Haller
occupation
synchronization

Women around Richard Wagner (original title: Magic Fire ) is a biography from 1954 and has the composer Richard Wagner as the subject.

action

As a young conductor at the theater in Magdeburg, Richard Wagner married the actress Minna Planer and, while working on the " Rienzi ", dreams of becoming famous as an opera composer himself. Out of disappointment with the German theater business, he decides to go to France and, during a stormy boat trip, gets the inspiration for a new opera “ The Flying Dutchman ”. Giacomo Meyerbeer reacts skeptically to the composition, but gives Wagner a few letters of recommendation. At the same time, Wagner befriends Franz Liszt .

Despite the letters of recommendation, Wagner is unsuccessful and ends up in jail because he borrows money for his ambitions that he cannot repay. Nevertheless, he is already working on his next opera “ Lohengrin ”; a little later he learns that the Royal Court Theater Dresden wants to perform the "Dutchman".

Impressed by the opera, the King of Saxony appoints Richard Wagner as conductor of the court theater. A little later, Wagner encountered resistance from Minister von Moll because of his new musical ideas. Soon a bounty will be placed on him for his activities in the context of the March Revolution ; Wagner has to flee from the threat of arrest. At Franz Liszt's, Wagner met his daughter Cosima Wagner , who was impressed by his music.

Wagner flees to Zurich with forged papers and begins work on “ The Ring of the Nibelung ” there. While working on “ Tristan und Isolde ” he starts an affair with Mathilde Wesendonck , the wife of the businessman Otto Wesendonck .

The French emperor made it possible for “ Tannhäuser ” to be performed in Paris. Despite the opera's success with the French audience, the resistance of the “Jockey Club”, the Parisian top ten thousand, ensures that the opera will soon be canceled.

Wagner returns to Zurich and continues to work on "Tristan and Isolde". Cosima marries the conductor Hans von Bülow . The affair between Wagner and Mathilde comes to light; Wagner goes to Venice. Wagner is desperate because he still cannot return to Germany and cannot forget Mathilde.

After 13 years of wandering, Wagner can finally return to Germany. His arrival in Nuremberg coincides with the festivities that the city holds in honor of Hans Sachs ; Wagner composes " The Mastersingers of Nuremberg ". Shortly afterwards, Wagner learns that the Bavarian King Ludwig II wants to see him.

Wagner runs the king's opera house and can perform his operas there; the king, in turn, pays Wagner's debts. Hans von Bülow, who is now working in Berlin, is an enthusiastic conductor of the “Meistersinger”.

While Wagner learns that his wife has died, his archenemy, Minister von Moll, who now works for King Ludwig, turns against Wagner's ambitious plans for his own festival theater . Von Moll compels him to leave Munich; otherwise King Ludwig would have to abdicate. Wagner goes to Tribschen in Switzerland with Cosima . Franz Liszt, now Abbé in Rome, reacts indignantly to Wagner's way of life and his liaison with Cosima. Wagner and Cosima get married.

After the Franco-Prussian War , both went to Bayreuth and built the festival hall. King Ludwig supports Wagner with the money he needs for the performance of the "Ring". The premiere of the "Ring" was a great success. Franz Liszt meanwhile raises serious religious concerns about Wagner's new project “ Parsifal ”, but changes his mind when Wagner plays excerpts from the opera for him on the piano. Liszt also makes peace with Cosima. Shortly afterwards, Wagner died on February 13, 1883.

Production notes

The film based on the novel by Bertita Harding was shot from September 17 to November 17, 1954 in the Bavaria Atelier in Munich-Geiselgasteig. The outdoor shots were taken in Munich , Bayreuth , Bamberg , Nuremberg , Würzburg and Erlangen . The buildings were created by Robert Herlth , Kurt Herlth and Willy Horn. The arrangement of the music by Richard Wagner was done by Erich Wolfgang Korngold , the musical direction by Alois Melichar . Tatjana Gsovsky acted as choreographer , Rudolf Hartmann staged the opera scenes .

Originally the film was 150 minutes long. At the request of the German distributor Gloria von Ilse Kubaschewski , it was shortened considerably by numerous cuts against the will of the director and producer William Dieterle. The American version is 112 minutes long, the German 94 minutes. The premiere took place on July 15, 1955 in the Passage Kino , Hamburg, the American cinema release in March 1956.

synchronization

The German version of the film has the following voice actors :

role actor Voice actor
Richard Wagner Alan Badel Wolfgang Buettner
Cosima Liszt Rita Gam Eleanor Noelle
Franz Liszt Carlos Thompson Wolf Ackva
Hans von Bülow Erik Schumann Erik Schumann
King Ludwig Gerhard Riedmann Horst Raspe
King of Saxony Heinz Klingenberg Ernst Fritz Fürbringer
Mathilde Wesendonck Valentina Cortese Marianne Kehlau
Giacomo Meyerbeer Charles Regnier Charles Regnier
Minna Wagner Yvonne De Carlo Gisela Hoeter
Otto Wesendonck Peter Cushing Alois-Maria Giani
cutter Werner Lieven Werner Lieven
Theater director Kurt Großkurth Bum Kruger

Reviews

“Splendid film biography that reduces Richard Wagner's life and work almost exclusively to his relationships with women. With handsome excerpts from the opera - otherwise lengthy and inadequate in both human and intellectual content. The propagation of a vague, exceptional morality 'for genius' is also questionable. "

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm (William) Dieterle - actor, director . In: CineGraph - Lexikon zum Deutschsprachigen Film , Lg. 22, F 41 f.
  2. Women around Richard Wagner in the German synchronkartei.de synchronkartei.de
  3. Women around Richard Wagner. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used