The Life and Works of Richard Wagner
Introduction: Prof. Dr. Jeongwon Joe, University of Cincinnati.
dir: Carl Froelich, Germany 1913 (German-Release:
Richard Wagner), ca. 90 min.
“The Life and Works of Richard Wagner” by Carl Froelich, said to be the first ever feature-length biopic silent, tells the story of the great German composer from his childhood through his great triumphs in orchestral and operatic music.
Produced when the motion picture industry was still in its infancy, and feature films were still a novelty, the portrait was released in conjunction with the centennial of his birth. The title role was played by Giuseppe Becce, an Italian who not only resembled Wagner but was himself a gifted composer. Due to financial restrictions which made it impossible to make use of an all-Wagner musical score, Becce was cast to write the film music, as shown in this version.
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