Rienzi is an opera by Richard Wagner . Moreover , Wagner 's wife Minna , in a letter of October 28 , 1840 to Wagner 's 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 debtor 's prison . The full score of Rienzi was completed on November 19 , 1840 .