Rienzi friend Apel, who had likely first made the suggestion that Wagner compose "Rienzi", mentions a plan to perform the overture to "Rienzi" "a fortnight hence", but contains a clear indication that her husband had just been committed to a debtors' prison. The full score of "Rienzi" was completed on 19 November 1840. In 1841 Wagner moved to Meudon, just outside Paris, where the debt laws could be more easily evaded, whilst awaiting developments for "Rienzi", having already written to King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony, requesting that he order a production of the work in Dresden. With the support of
Composer of the Week Composer of the Week Composer of the Week is a long-running biographical music programme broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Originally This Week's Composer, it was first broadcast on 2 August 1943 on the BBC Home Service, transferring to the BBC Third Programme in 1964 and changing title to "Composer of the Week" in 1988. In terms of longevity, it is only surpassed by "Desert Island Discs" (first heard on 29 January 1942). The programme is broadcast daily from Monday to Friday, each week being a series of five programmes dedicated to a particular composer or a group of related composers.