Yes I know this is the 20thc MUSIC board but I do not know of any better place to post this (please advise) so, on the the (very) slim grounds that Mann was deeply interested in modern music and that Tantris mentioned in passing "Der Zaberberg" on the Ferneyhough thread I post this here with apologies.
    Like Tantris I am making my way through "The Magic Mountain" in my case via the, apparently, dodgy translation by Lowe-Porter and, not to do things by half, I intend to tackle "Buddenbrooks" for the first time and and re-read "Dr Faustus" in the hope that it makes a lot more sense the second time round. Looking on Amazon for critical essays on the three books I saw that five or six years ago German TV made long adaptations of all these novels which are on sale as a set for about £60 from Berlin. I jumped up and down, got a bit over-excited and now I rather think my wife is going to order them for my birthday. My question is- has anyone seen these films and are they any good? 60 quid is rather much to waste on poor adaptations on the other hand I do rather fancy them. I know a number of our members live or have lived in Europe and would be grateful for comments from anyone who has seen this trilogy.  Many thanks.

 Thanks Richard.  Yes "Der Zaberberg" is directed by Geissendorfer, the others by Wirth and Seitz. The set was released last year and I had not realized "Der Zaberberg" dated from '82.
  We did speak briefly about "Dr Faustus" some months ago when I asked about Mann's depiction of Schoenberg's music as souless intellectualism and the composer's reaction to that view. I have just received "The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Mann" and just skimmed through Susan von Rohr Scaff's essay on "Faustus". According to Scaff Mann, whilst retaining a love of the music, thought Wagner "..posed a moral threat" and that .."(Wagner's) music becomes all-consuming and  its insidious effect on the emotions undermines resolve and is therefore pernicious and dangerous". Scaff seems to suggest that Mann thought Schoenberg's music made a healthy break with the past but then came 12 tone music which the author said was dangerously intellectual and its lack of humanity every bit as dangerous as Wagners lush romanticism.  Sorry to go on, all this is no doubt Grade One stuff for a Geman-speaking chap such as yourself. Anyway, how this ties in with Leverkuhn's "progress" towards  "Lamentations"  will have to wait as I have only reached page 405 of "The Magic Mountain" and, although I am three times his age, I'm having as much trouble as Castorp keeping up with Settembrini and Naphta. I just hope all this effort is keeping the Alzheimers at bay! Thanks again for your comments on the DVDs I'm looking forward to my birthday!

 Hello JP I shall post a reply on the Literature thread now that we have one.