Highly regarded when it premiered in 1983 to commemorate the centenary of Richard Wagner’s death, director Tony Palmer’s newly re-mastered Wagner biographical film is still an important addition to any Wagnerian’s DVD collection.
The film’s 16:9 aspect ratio makes it perfect for today’s wide-screen high-definition TVs, while enhancing Palmer’s breathtaking natural panoramas, according to Jerry Floyd who reviews the film on Wagneropera.net.
Tony Palmer: Wagner (review on Wagneropera.net)
Principal Historical Figures
Richard Burton (Richard Wagner),
Vanessa Redgrave (Cosima),
Gemma Craven (Minna),
László Gálffi (Ludwig II),
Sir John Gielgud (Pfistermeister),
Sir Ralph Richardson (Pforden),
Sir Laurence Olivier (Pfeufer),
Ekkehard Schall (Franz Liszt),
Ronald Pickup (Friedrich Nietzsche),
Miguel Herz-Kestranek (Hans von Bülow),
Richard Pasco (Otto Wesendonck),
Marthe Keller (Mathilde Wesendonck),
Sir William Walton (Friedrich August II of Saxony),
Vernon Dobtcheff (Giacomo Meyerbeer),
Jean Luc Moreau (Marius Petipa),
Bernadette Schneider (Judith Gautier),
Daphne Wagner (Princess Metternich),
John Shrapnel (Gottfried Semper),
László Horváth (Eduard Hanslick),
Arthur Denberg (Paul Taxis),
Péter Andorai (Mikhail Bakunin),
Stephen Oliver (Hans Richter),
Tibor Kovács (Sustav Siehr),
Brook Williams (Paul von Joukowsky),
Andrew Cruickshank (Minister Bär /Narrator)
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