Global Wagner - From Bayreuth To the World [Blu-ray]

Global Wagner – From Bayreuth to the World is not a biography of Richard Wagner, nor is it a musicological analysis of his work. This is a documentary dedicated solely to the world’s fascination with the man, and an exploration of the question as to how such massive hype and world-wide cult following developed around this highly controversial artist. The film is a revealing feature-length study of life with Wagner’s legacy from one Bayreuth Festival to the next, and we travel the world to meet devoted Wagnerians and those most intimately involved in commenting on and producing his work today. This extremely watchable documentary avoids the well-trodden clichés of typical biographies or analyses of Wagner’s life and work.

Author and director Axel Brüggemann’s point of view is that of a journalist, and his enthusiasm for music combined with his proven ability to create narrative connections between people and his subject creates a unique snapshot of where Wagner sits in today’s society, and the resonances he and his operas still project today. With the Bayreuth Festspielhaus as a thread that runs throughout the film we are treated to fascinating behind-the-scenes footage, and are allowed to become guests in places associated with his life and work. This is a documentary that flows with effortless authenticity, and always with an engaging lightness of touch and an unexpected diversity of scenery and personal observation from the colourful characters included.