The Culture Week: Richard Wagner, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Carinthian Jewels

2023-07-12 08:15:02

Also: “The Culture Week”, “The Taste of Europe” in Carinthian Gailtal and “Mountain Lakes in Carinthia – Jewels of the Alps”

Vienna (OTS) – The “matinee” on Sunday, July 16, 2023, at 9.05 a.m. on ORF 2 is entirely tailored to Richard Wagner and the upcoming Bayreuth Festival: First, the documentation “Wilde Castles – Neuschwanstein” leads to the famous magnificent building King Ludwig II. Then the film “Wagner, Bayreuth and the rest of the world” (9.50 a.m.) takes a tongue-in-cheek but informative look at the Richard Wagner phenomenon. At the end of the ORF culture morning presented by Clarissa Stadler, “Die Kulturwoche” (10.50 a.m.) brings current reports and tips.
In addition, ORF 2 will show two more cultural productions on Sunday – following the “ZIB” edition at 11 a.m.: an edition of the “matinee” series “The Taste of Europe” (11.05 a.m.), which explores “The Carinthian Gailtal”, followed by the ORF/3sat production “Mountain lakes in Carinthia – Jewels of the Alps” (11.35 a.m.).

“Wild Castles – Neuschwanstein” (9.05 a.m.)

Europe’s castles and palaces are world famous. Less well known is the wildlife that lives both outside and within its walls. The documentary series “Wild Castles” shows the beauty of nature around some of the most famous buildings.
The Ammergau Alps near the Zugspitze are a true natural paradise whose king is the golden eagle. The region is not only famous for its gorges, wild rivers and untouched wildlife – even the steepest rock faces are inhabited here thanks to the alpine ibex. The Bavarian King Ludwig II chose this natural paradise as a retreat to build his fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle here. It is the most famous of his magnificent buildings and is still one of the best-known sights in Germany today. For the mammoth building, Ludwig II had the entire top of a mountain blown away in 1869 and built a knight’s castle with central heating and a telephone. The construction work on this adventurous summit cost the lives of 39 workers. The king himself only lived in the castle for a few months during the construction period and died near his fairytale castle before the complex was completed, under circumstances that have not yet been fully clarified.
Barbara Puskas designed the film.

“Wagner, Bayreuth and the rest of the world” (9.50 a.m.)

Richard Wagner is a social phenomenon, for some even a question of faith. The Bayreuth Festspielhaus is still a place of pilgrimage for many. Director and music journalist Axel Brüggemann humorously explores the question of how such a hype and cult might develop around this highly controversial artist that almost only seems to know admirers or opponents. How can it be that the Festspielhaus in the Franconian province becomes a Mecca for Wagner lovers from all over the world every summer? And how was Bayreuth able to remain the “living room of the Germans” in the monarchy of King Ludwig, in the fascist dictatorship and in democracy – and this despite the hard seats?
The focus of the film is the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth and the artistic work within the historic walls. Katharina Wagner, great-granddaughter of the composer, artistic director and managing director of the Bayreuth Festival, gives exclusive insights into her rehearsals and tells what it’s like to direct. Conductor Christian Thielemann takes the audience into the mystical Bayreuth orchestra pit. Wagner expert Alex Ross and the Franconian butcher couple Rauch open up completely new perspectives on Wagner’s world, the festival and the “opening circus” with political celebrities. A tongue-in-cheek look behind the scenes of perhaps the most German myth through the eyes of Wagner fans all over the world – between passion and music, politics, culture, glamor and bratwurst.
The documentation also shows the dichotomy between the love of Richard Wagner’s music on the one hand and the rejection and criticism of the composer’s anti-Semitic views on the other. The film describes Wagner’s grandiose music with brilliant images and exclusively accompanies some rehearsals with world-famous artists such as Piotr Beczała, Valery Gergiev, Plácido Domingo, Barrie Kosky and Anja Harteros.

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