Wagner & Me

Actor and comedian Stephen Fry has one very great passion: the music of Richard Wagner. But aside from the fact that Wagner himself was a very controversial man who was accused of enormous anti-Semitism, Fry constantly questions whether, as a Jew who lost family members to the Holocaust, he is even allowed to worship the music of Adolf Hitler's favorite composer in such a way? In order to explore this inner conflict more intensively, Fry decides to embark on a search for clues that will enable him to learn more about Wagner the man, but also more about his music and its effect on people. To do this, he visits Bayreuth and takes a look behind the scenes of the legendary Richard Wagner Festival. He travels to Nuremberg, visits Neuschwanstein Castle and, in St. Petersburg, finds out why Wagner's music also holds such great fascination for Russian music lovers. And in London, he finally meets with a former cellist who survived the horror of Auschwitz only because of her musical talent.

Wagner & Me, despite its not always light subject matter, is a highly entertaining, engaging and, in places, very humorous documentary. As Stephen Fry wanders the hallowed halls of the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, even getting to visit the orchestra pit, his genuine enthusiasm is clear to see. That he claims to feel like a kid in a candy store is guaranteed no exaggeration. Moments when he is allowed to leaf through a score written by Wagner himself, or when he makes the keys of a piano once played by the master himself, brim with infectious euphoria and playful passion.

What additionally makes this documentary well worth watching is the fact that the life and work of Richard Wagner is examined here from a variety of perspectives. So not only descendants and admirers, but also a few critical voices have their say. The discussion to what extent one can and should separate the person Wagner and his work from each other is highly interesting. The fact that the whole thing then does not always proceed in a deadly serious and dry manner provides the necessary entertainment value, which also saves viewers who are not interested in Richard Wagner and his music with the same passion as is the case with Stephen Fry from drifting into boredom.

Whether as a behind-the-scenes look at the Richard Wagner Festival, or as a treatise on music history, or as of a journey into a dark chapter of German history, Wagner & Me can convince in all these aspects. Most especially, of course, this film is recommended to all lovers of Wagner's music, especially his Ring des Nibelungen. But if you are generally interested in interesting and entertaining documentaries, you will get your money's worth here. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp