The Fairy-Tale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruickshank
Dan Cruickshank looks at the extravagant 19th-century castles and palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, believing them to be the work of an architectural genius ahead of his time.
Ludwig II of Bavaria, more commonly known by his nicknames the Swan King or the Dream King, is a legendary figure - the handsome boy-king, loved by his people, betrayed by his cabinet and found dead in tragic and mysterious circumstances. He spent his life in pursuit of the ideal of beauty, which found expression in three of the most extraordinary, ornate architectural schemes imaginable - the castle of Neuschwanstein and the palaces of Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. Today, these three buildings are among Germany's biggest tourist attractions.
In this documentary, Dan Cruickshank explores the rich aesthetic of Ludwig II - from the mock-medievalism of Neuschwanstein, the iconic fairy-tale castle that became the inspiration for the one in Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty, to the rich, baroque splendour of Herrenchiemsee, Ludwig's answer to Versailles. Dan argues that Ludwig's castles are more than flamboyant kitsch and are, in fact, the key to unravelling the eternal enigma of Ludwig II.
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Clips
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The Throne Room, Neuschwanstein
Duration: 01:20
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The Venus Grotto
Duration: 02:45
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The Moorish Kiosk
Duration: 02:29
Music Played
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Richard Wagner
Die Meistersinger von N眉rnberg (Prelude)
Performer: London Symphony Orchestra. Featured Artist: Antal Dor谩ti. -
Richard Wagner
Lohengrin - Einsam In Truben Tagen
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Richard Wagner
Die Walkure: Prelude To Act I
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Alfred Scholz, London Festival Orchestra
Tannhauser
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Ed Shearmur, The London Metropolitan Orchestra, Original Soundtrack
Landing On Elba
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Dan Cruickshank |
Producer | Alexander Leith |
Executive Producer | Basil Comely |
Broadcasts
- Tue 2 Jul 2013 21:00
- Wed 3 Jul 2013 03:00
- Thu 4 Jul 2013 22:30
- Sun 18 Aug 2013 22:00
- Wed 21 Aug 2013 00:00
- Wed 11 Dec 2013 20:00
- Thu 12 Dec 2013 01:00
- Sun 2 Mar 2014 20:00
- Fri 7 Mar 2014 01:10
- Sun 14 Dec 2014 19:00
- Mon 15 Dec 2014 03:00
- Tue 19 May 2015 22:50
- Wed 20 May 2015 02:20
- Wed 4 Nov 2015 23:00
- Sun 15 Nov 2015 19:00
- Thu 21 Jul 2016 21:00
- Thu 22 Dec 2016 22:00
- Mon 5 Jun 2017 20:00
- Tue 6 Jun 2017 01:30
- Tue 5 Dec 2017 23:30
- Wed 27 Jun 2018 23:25
- Boxing Day 2018 19:00
- Fri 28 Dec 2018 02:00
- Mon 19 Aug 2019 00:40
- Wed 28 Oct 2020 20:00
- Thu 29 Oct 2020 01:30
- Sat 4 Dec 2021 19:30
- Sun 5 Dec 2021 02:40
- Wed 5 Apr 2023 21:00
- Sun 18 Feb 2024 20:00
- Mon 19 Feb 2024 01:20
- Wed 14 Aug 2024 21:00
- Thu 15 Aug 2024 02:35
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