Vienna Lohengrin: In Wagner´s dreams

Lohengrin. Vienna State Opera. September 16th, 2006. Production: Barrie Kosky. Cast: Peter Seiffert (Lohengrin), Petra Schnitzer (Elsa), Petra Lang (Otrud), Falk Struckmann (Telramund). Conductor: Peter Schneider.

After more than twenty years with a Vienna Lohengrin from the darkest of the dark middle ages (also available on DVD), Australian native Barrie Kosky staged a new Lohengrin production earlier this season, predictably causing controversy as the first modern Lohengrin to be seen at the Vienna State Opera.

Barrie Kosky claims no interest Lohengrin as a historical drama. Contrary to Robert Carsen in Paris he does not see Lohengrin as a political piece. For Kosky, Lohengrin is about dreams, and this Lohengrin takes place in a fairy-tale dreamworld.

Tiny yellow wooden swans appear infrequently throughout the opera, but the dominating symbol is the chain controlling Lohengrin´s arrival as well as his departure. In the end Elsa collapses by the chain as her brother is returned in the shape of an embryo encapsuled in a water-drop - a dream figure as well.

The sets are simple and rather aesthetic, the major part of the stage held in black with bright yellow small houses/symbols presented continuously. This world of this Lohengrin is clearly an abstract world.

Importantly, Barrie Kosky chose to make Elsa blind and she´s walking around the stage guided by a walking stick. In theory, I find this a valid point, however it has profound dramatic consequences: All the elementary human tension between Elsa and Lohengrin (and Ortrud as well) is absent while Elsa waves the walking stick. And Barrie Kosky thus looses the elementary interpersonal drama of Lohengrin on the floor.

Muscially, the performance was first-rate. Peter Seiffert is vocally a superb Lohengrin. He hits the notes effortless, but an engaging stage presence he has never been. Paired with his off-stage wife Petra Schnitzer, a very fine and warm Elsa.

Petra Lang is an exceptionally fine Ortrud. She has dignity, she is not shouting, her voice is beautiful and she is a fine dramatic actress - a much needed Ortrud in the tradition of Waltraud Meier. Telramund suits Falk Struckmann eminently, both vocally and physically. However, he clearly was vocally indisposed and simply could not hit the notes in the 2nd act – which got progressively worse until he died, literally.. almost like watching a thriller.

The Vienna State Opera orchestra played brilliantly under Peter Schneider with an almost unearthly quality to the prelude and continuing at this high level throughout.

It is no small decision for a house like the Vienna State Opera to commission a "modern" staging of a civic treasure like Lohengrin.

Recent rumours have it a very distinguished Wagnerian conductor (whom I will not name here) refuses to conduct this production, which spurs additional rumours that a new Vienna Lohengrin is upcoming in 3-4 seasons in order to secure the services of said conductor. As always: We shall see..

Walküre in Stockholm

Waiting for the complete Stockholm Ring, which will show in January 2008, here is my take on the Stockholm Walküre, which I attended last October at the Royal Opera in Stockholm:

Director Staffan Valdemar Holm´s take on this work (based on this Walküre) is largely psychoanalytic. He is not interested in politics and human evolution, but creates a world very similar to what I would´ve imagined to be that of Strindberg and Ibsen. The scenography is by Bente Lykke Möller and the setting is middle to late 19th century, ie. Wagner´s own time.

The first act is takes place in a large kitchen, with dinner plates on the wall, and reminded me distinctly of Nora´s world in Ibsen´s “A doll´s house”. Second act takes place in a room with 19th century romantic paintings on the walls and a pool table in the middle. The room is dark, and through the windows the snowclad mountains can be seen. It´s almost too much Strindberg. The Valkyries were all clad in black dresses in the same dark room with concrete walls and the same windows. Dressed as in the 1850´s (pictured at the bottom of the page).

The cast was quite good: Nina Stemme was wonderful as Sieglinde, Hans-Peter König had the voice for Hunding, but is not a very menacing stage present (as in his Bayreuth Hagen), Endrik Wottrick was a shrill and disappointing Siegmund (as he was in Bayreuth this year), while Martina Dike made a fine Fricka. I had really looked forward to Katarina Dalayman´s Brünnhilde – she seriously has potential to be really outstanding in this part - unfortunately she had cancelled the performance and was replaced by the vocally inadequate and not very interesting Carolyne Whisnant. Terje Stensvold made an excellent Wotan. I continue to be amazed at this man, who started his international career in his end-50´s after 30 years of (relative) anonymity at the Royal Norwegian Opera. And next year he has several engagements in London, Vienna and Berlin lined up. His voice was huge and quite steady throughout the entire range.

German conductor Gregor Bühl was conducting the Royal Swedish Opera orchestra. And disappointingly, the orchestra did not seem to perform according to international standards. Curiously, loudspeakers were placed on the wall next to our seats and they were transmitting the orchestral sound with about ½ seconds delay – which was extremely annoying. The orchestra sounded flat and uninspired throughout, which is my major reservation with this Stockholm Ring so far.

To summarize: The singers generally belong to the top-end of “the usual suspects”, the director´s concept seems interesting, but the orchestra did not quite match the other aspects of the production. Hopefully this will have improved before the premiere of the complete cycle in January.

By the way, the Stockholm opera has implemented the e-tickets, which you may order via internet and print out at home. Excellent service for out of town visitors.


All photos by: Mats Bäcker

Berlin: Henze scores a major success with new opera Phaedra

Hans Werner Henze´s new opera Phaedra just opened at the Berlin State Opera.

The opera, subtitled “concert opera” is composed for a relatively small ensemble of 23 instrumentalists, predominantly brass and woodwinds together with a harp, a piano and a string quartet. The music was described as: “masterful”, “written with great clarity”, “elegant”, “devastatingly beautiful” and “stylistically reminiscent of baroque opera”.

The opera is based on the Greek myth of Phaedra’s unrequited love for her stepson Hippolyt. The libretto is by Christian Lehnert and divided into two main sections: “In the morning” and “in the evening”, which again are subdivided into 5 and 4 sections, respectively:

“In the morning” Hippolyt has gone hunting. His stepmother Phaedra confesses her love for him and he rejects her. The goddess Aphrodite (who loves Hippolyt herself and furthermore is jealous of the hunting goddess Artemis, who has Hippolyt´s exclusive attention) promises to help Phaedra win Hippolyt. Phaedra then writes a letter to her husband Theseus claiming to have been seduced by Hippolyt, and Theseus then (with help from the sea-god Poseidon) kills Hippolyt upon his return from the hunting trip. This part of the opera follows the legend of Phaedra as previously retold by Racine and others.

In the second part “in the evening”, the opera allegedly follows a mythological tradition of the Phaedra legend described by Ovid: Artemis has brought Hippolyt to her home and resurrects him under the new name of Virbius, while Phaedra and Aphrodite tries to lure him into the underworld. Aphrodite abducts him and keeps him imprisoned in a cave. The downside to Hippolyt´s new existence is that he is only aware of his existence and consciousness in fragments. Once more, he rejects Phaedra, escapes the cave and resurfaces as a sort of wood-god.

The staging was virtually unanimously praised by the German press, directed by Peter Mussbach and with scenography by the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. According to the production team they wanted to create 'a new kind of theatrical evening, reflecting and profoundly questioning the actualities of our way of looking at the world' applying effects such as placing a large mirror in the back of the stage alluding to a “theater within the theater”; placing the orchestra above the last rows of the parterre, and emphasizing stage lights.
General praise for the soloists, Maria Riccarda Wesserling as Phaedra (after Magdalena Kozenà´s cancellation), John Mark Ainsley (Hippolyt) and Marlis Petersen (Aphrodite).
The Ensemble Modern was conducted by Michael Boder.

This is a co-production between the Berlin State Opera, the Monnaie Theater in Bruxelles, Alte Oper Frankfurt and the Vienna Festival.

All photographs by Ruth Walz from the webpage of the Berlin State Opera

Unprofessional behaviour of Bryn Terfel to cancel the ROH Ring (London)

It´s fascinating to follow the debate following Bryn Terfel´s cancellation of his upcoming Wotan appearances even if I´m not really interested in the matter per se. New articles in The Telegraph and an interview with his wife in Daily Mail has spurred a furious debate on diverse opera discussion groups about the relative values of family, opera, commitments, sacrifices etc.
Looking at the whole affair rather dispassionately from the outside (I haven´t bought a ticket to the performances and I am no fan of Terfel), my take on the situation is as follows:

Bryn Terfel has actively been seeking mainstream stardom status as well as the accompanying fees. Upon achieving such status however, follows a higher degree of responsibility compared to an “ordinary” singer.
The ROH Ring is not just any opera production – it is probably the biggest single event of the past 5 years at the ROH, and with a set-up relying quite heavily on the presence of Bryn Terfel´s star quality. It´s understandable, of course, if Bryn Terfel wants to make changes in his future life-style, but the professional way to do this is to honour short-term commitments and then cancel or work something out with future engagements. It is deeply irresponsible towards the opera-going public not to mention the operatic management to cancel such a major appearance on such short notice. Even when deeper family problems than the much-quoted finger of his son may be at the core of this (which is none of our business, of course, despite mrs. Terfel chosing to divulge them to the Daily Mail).

Opera most certainly is not a matter of life and death, and certainly it shouldn´t take precedence over family – it is much simpler: It´s a job. Bryn Terfel signed a contract. In his business, contracts are signed years in advance. His privileged position in this business taken into consideration, you may reasonably expect him to plan his scheduled commitments allowing for smaller emergencies in the private sphere.

Again, all the above is only valid assuming he’s learned the part (Wanderer) and remembers the other two Wotans.

Looking somewhat dispassionately at this from the outside – I am personally quite unaffected by his non-Wotan-appearances, thinking him unsuitable in this repertoire anyway- the only explanation making sense to me is a combination of a lack of preparation with private problems. And this, in my opinion, is both deeply disrespectful and unprofessional behaviour.

Bayreuth 2007: How to get a ticket..

Of course, this is what it´s really about: The tickets to The Bayreuth Festival....And how to get them..

Below are my conclusions on this subject after a week of intensive field studies:

The baseline info:

Tickets look exactly like the one pictured above. The Ring consists of one ticket only, which is valid for all 4 performances. On every ticket is a printed name and identification number. You are not allowed to use a ticket,which does not carry your name on it, and (in theory) you should carry identification with you (see below). If you do have a ticket, which does not bear you name (there may be a perfectly legitimate reason for that – such as going with a person who has another surname than yours) – you will need to go to the Ticket Office (Kartenbüro) and have the ticket re-named (which they do on the spot). The above precautions are an attempt from the Ticket Office to minimize the black ticket market.

The following is printed on the back of each ticket (in both german, english and french):

In order to prevent the sale of Festival tickets an the black market er through
secondary trading we reserve the right to make admission to the performances
dependent not only an possession of a valid entrance ticket but also an
presentation of a valid means of identification with photograph. We wish to
point out that tickets which are acquired through unauthorized advance booking
agencies or intermediaries etc. or at exhorbitant prices cease to be valid. For
verification purposes the entrance ticket may be withdrawn upon entry to the
Festival theatre. During the time required for verification a duplicate ticket
will be issued. Defaced tickets are invalid. For copyright reasons, photography,
filming arid the use of video arid tape recorders are strictly prohibitet in all
parts of the theatre. Cameras arid all forms of recording equipment, together
with watches with digital alarms arid mobile telephones, may not be taken into
the auditorium.

How to get a ticket through the well-established channels:

1) Write to the Ticket Office every year. The approximate waiting time to get a ticket is 7-12 years depending which production you want to see etc. I spoke to a few people who got tickets that way, and they´d been waiting somewhere between 7-10 years. What tickets you actually do get after this time is highly individual: I spoke to a french lady, who´d initially "only" gotten tickets to the Ring after 10 years waiting, but after calling the Box Office and literally crying they sent her tickets for Tannhäuser and Parsifal as well. Others got tickets for all performances, and some only for Parsifal and Tannhäuser. Rumours has it that over-sea customers take precedence and that applicants putting down "all performances" on their application form may have priority. The Box Office was not clear on this when I asked them.

2) Alternatively join a Wagner Society. I spoke to people from the US, who´d waited only 2 years to get a ticket. I suppose if you founded a Wagner Society in Mali or Burkina Faso, you´d get allotted some tickets very soon as well.

3) Are you wealthy – join the Friends of Bayreuth – and support the Festival. Friends are allocated a varying numbers of tickets, which probably depend on their contribution to the Festival. I talked to several people who went every year. (and it´s from such people I knew in Hannover, that I got my tickets for Parsifal). Friends of Bayreuth may give their allocated tickets to whom they wish ( this is how I got my ticket for Parsifal – fully legitimate). These tickets have the name of the company written on them and not the individual ticket-holder.

4) Get a paper to send you as their correspondent. Maybe not such a bad idea. I didn´t try it, but could work out.

Do you not feel any of the above methods are relevant for you? - then all hope is not lost:

Getting tickets via secondary sources (eg. black/grey market tickets):

Pleased note, that tickets purchased this way are considered void and the Festival will deny you entry if you have one. And please note, that I do not recommend this as a way to get ticket, but I merely provide information on the upside and downside of this method to prevent people putting a lot of money down for performances they may not be able to attend:

Internet auctions - particularly german ebay, is the most common venue for selling those tickets. I have been following these auctions all year and quite a few tickets have been offered here. Complete Ring gallery seats for 1500 Euros, Parsifal for 500 Euros etc. However, I know from reliable sources that the Box Office monitors these auctions and if they succeed to identify tickets for sale at german e-bay they will write to the ticket owners, and tell them the tickets are considered void. This is, in fact, not an empty threat. I know positively that they do this from an acquaintance who´d bought 2 tickets for Parsifal this way and immediately after the auction was told by the seller that the Box Office had contacted her and reclaimed the tickets (how do they find out? – if pictures of the tickets are shown, if the location in the theatre is mentioned together with the place of location etc.). Tickets are also sold via minor german opera websites.
There were no generel ID checks at the entrances to the Festival Hall the week I was there. I would assume half the audience were carrying tickets without their own names on. I actually asked about this in the Box Ofiice, and they told me that if you carry the same name (ie. last name) as your companion, you´ll have no problems - otherwise you should go to the Box Office and have your ticket altered. However, sporadic checks do occur.

I witnessed something curious during the Ring: Right before Walkure, one of the blue girls at the entrance carried a note pad with 4 numbered seats written down on it – when these 4 ticket holders then arrived they were being asked their names and if they were the owners of the tickets. A friend of mine sat next to one young man singled out this way, and I was convinced his name did not correspond to that on the ticket (even though he told the ladies that it did). He told my friend he was there for the entire Ring, but...after the ticket check in Walkure we never saw him again. He was replaced by an elderly lady for Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, and the ticket had been altered, with a Box Office stamp and what I assumed was her name on it. So, I gather, if the Box Office suspects some seats to have been sold illegally they will check the seat numbers for identification. And throw out the buyer if a satisfactory explanation is not forthcoming....And the sellers are banned for life as well..

On the other hand I have personal knowledge of 2 people who´d gotten in with tickets, which had appeared on the internet with a complete photograph incl. ticket number, and they were not checked at all.

Once in Bayreuth, you may ask around at all the hotels and "tourist" venues, and that may bring you a ticket as well. But these tickets will still be considered void and official policy has it you will be banned from life if found out.

Buying on the spot - Queuing at the Box Office:

Contrary to my thoughts before arrival, this may not be such a bad option..

The Box Office is located on the left side of the Festival House when you approach from the hill.

Below some observation on queue lenghts for performances I attended:

Meistersinger 19th august: 2 hours before the performance, 6 people were queing and they all got tickets.

The Ring (Ring III): 4 hours before start of the Rhinegold only 2 people were queing. I know at least 6 people who got tickets in this queue– and that is for the entire Ring. Also a young eastern-european musician carrying a sign reading "young latvian musician looking for tickets" was offered several tickets from the Box Office, which she turned down (too expensive) before buying from a young man passing by.

Parsifal: 12 people queueing 1 hour before. I am unsure how many got a ticket. This was the most extensive queuing I observed. For the following Parsifal a couple of young guys had camped outside the ticket office with sleeping bags the night before (the roof is covered with a baldakin, so raining is no problem. Toilets are just around the corner).

Tannhäuser: I don´t know. I heard this was the most popular showing. I didn´t go.

And the queuing system: You may reserve a place in the queue by putting down a small taburet etc. - and just leave it there - so you don´t have to stand at the exact spot all the time (same system as in Vienna State Opera). This is strictly enforced by your fellow-queuers - no cheating!

I spoke to the very helpful ladies in the Box Office about the general numbers of tickets returned every day etc. - obviously I didn´t get an exact answer to this, but was told, that a particulary large number of tickets were returned this year. But, as the lady told me, in the morning (before the performance, red.) they had nothing - the tickets started to arrive 1-2 hours before performance start.

As to why so many return their tickets this year I got an idea from walking around the Hill:

My impression was, that the black-market (which I´ve been told has existed in previous years) immediately outside the Festspielhaus on the day of performance has been channelled into the waiting line. I saw several people just arriving trying to sell tickets elsewhere on the hill, and if they were spotted by some personnel, they were asked to come to the Box Office where tickets were distributed to the queue. It was my impression, that the relatively large numbers of return tickets were due to the reduction of secondary trading on the hill and not to a higher return of tickets, although of course I can´t be sure.

Of course, tickets are still being sold on the parking place behind the house, or just on the outskirts of the Hill - I noticed that too. But it wasn´t too obvious.

Bayreuth - some info if you decide to go...

Public transport: Pretty straightforward with train from Munich via Nürnberg. Takes app. 2,5 hours. Be aware that the last train from Bayreuth train station leaves at 2210 pm in any direction - this means that the only performances in 2007 after which you would be able to catch the train were Rheingold and Tannhäuser - and with good running shoes - Walkure (finished 2145).

Down town Bayreuth

By car/renting a car: It is relatively straight-forward to drive around the area as in the entire Germany. Several car rental offices operate in town (Avis, Hertz etc.). Prices average 200 Euros for one week, free mileage.

Festspielhausparking: The designated parking areas behind the Bayreuth Festival house may only be used if you have a special permit, but it´s easy to park (and free!) just along the side roads of the green hill (appropriately named Wotanstrasse, Telramundstrasse etc.) - 3 minutes walk from the Festival house.

Down town Bayreuth


Where to stay:

It is possible to find a place to stay in Bayreuth even if you arrive without a booking as I did in 2007 (not really recommended, since I had to change hotel every day for three days).

Other options are Bamberg (below view from our hotel room in 2007) - a vastly more beautiful city:

Another option is Nürnberg (82 km south of Bayreuth)

Activties and excursions:
On all performance days several introductory talks (1-2 hours) was given at various locations in town. Some in English as well.

Bayreuth is a relatively anonymously looking town (2008 photos from the city center here), and does not hold any particular sights apart from Villa Wahnfried and the Franz-Liszt house.

Excursions to Bamberg, neighboring castles and Dresden were arranged by the Tourist Office on all non-performance days (reasonably priced at 40-50 Euros per person). Bamberg is exceptionally beautiful and highly recommended. Dresden as well, but a bit further away (200 km).

By the canal in Bamberg

Nürnberg may be easily visited by train (app. 1 hour).

For those with cars, other options are Rothenburg ob der Tauber and the magnificent castles south of Munich, Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau and Linderhof. As well as the extermination camp of Dachau.

The local Bayreuth cinema screened old Bayreuth performances (eg. Kupfer´s Dutchman, Heiner Müller´s Tristan) every Sunday.

Bayreuth 2007: On the green hill

Unless you have a special parking ticket, you are not allowed to park your car in the large parking areas behind the Bayreuth Festival house. However, on the sides of the hill you may park for free on several smaller streets (named Wotanstrasse, Telramundstrasse etc.)

Looking down (from the balcony):

Hanging around the house while waiting in line for tickets:

All intervals last 1 hour. A cafeteria and restaurant and several stalls selling bratwurst, ice cream, beer, champagne etc. are located just outside the Festival House. This system works very efficient and everybody got food and beers within 30 minutes.

There is also a post office (with special Bayreuth stamps) and a record shop (possibly with the best selection in town). Facing the task of driving 12 hours to pick up tickets to Parsifal, I easily persuaded myself to buy this for the road..

Taking a walk on the hill during intermissions:

And looking inside the Festival house from the front entrance:

The auditorium is wooden, no air-condition. I suppose the wooden floor have not been renovated since Furtwängler last was here...The seats are hard (although a small cushion is built in) and reaches half-way up the back, and leg space is very limited (many people bring cushions – I didn´t bother to do so and had no problems). On the positive side the slope up the auditorium is quite steep, resulting in good views from almost all seats. And blue girls guard the entrances to the auditorium - they´ll let you out, but not in again until intermission. “If you really want to enjoy Wagner you have to be prepared to suffer” said to a spokesman for the Festspielhaus." Actually, it wasn´t too bad. I´ve heard from others than the auditorium can get very hot during performance, but temperatures were all right throughout for comfort.

I was sitting on the second-last row for the Ring and Meistersinger and the 18th row (there are 30 rows total) for Parsifal. Except for Meistersinger, where I had the outermost seat and there was a small corner of the stage I couldn´t see, I had unrestricted view in all the other performances. And despite me being rather small, the steep incline of the steps prevent the people in front to block the view of the stage. And the acoustics: Brilliant!

The auditorium:

And the pit (photo kindly from ionarts):

And the Plexiglas model of the pit from Villa Wahnfried:

Bayreuth 2007: Katharina Wagner´s Meistersinger

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Meistersinger. Bayreuth Festival 2007. Production: Katharina Wagner. Cast: Franz Hawlata (Hans Sachs), Klaus Florian Vogt (Walther v. Stolzing), Michael Volle (Beckmesser), Amanda Mace (Eva). Conductor: Sebastian Weigle.

Don’t attend the Bayreuth Festival simply to have fun, drink beers with your friends and listen to good music, because nobody else does. Wagner in Bayreuth is serious stuff and tensions ran high in the Meistersinger audience even before the curtain was up as audiences greeeted The Festival representative announcing the partial indisposition by Franz Hawlata due to back pain with aggressive mumbling.

In many ways, Meistersinger may be the most difficult of Richard Wagners operas to stage, not at least due to the many ambiguities: Is it a comedy? A tragedy? Is Beckmesser a comical figure? Or is he evil? Or maybe even a hero? And it is obviously more challenging to import t an authentic 15th century Nürnberg cobbler into a modern semi-abstract staging, than it is with Gods and Giants.

Since the re-opening of the Bayreuth Festival in 1951, Meistersinger has been staged twice by Wieland and three times by Wolfgang Wagner, both very keen on clearing the work from nationalistic tendencies, emphasizing either the historical context or the caricature elements of the work (Wieland) or the down-to earth elements (Wolfgang). Katharina Wagner joins this tradition and is primarily interested in the socio-politic aspects of the piece as opposed to the love story between Eva and Walther.

The outline of the production is as follows:

The Meistersinger are governors of a traditional art academy, placed around a wooden table while guarding the sacred flame. The apprentices are students. The main concept seems to evolve around the idea that destruction of these traditions is necessary for society to develop.
The question then is: With what are these values replaced?

Hans Sachs is the outsider, a typist, chain-smoking in bare feet. Initially Walther, a painter, is the rebel, aggressively splashing paint aimlessly around when not painting “Eva” on sculptures. He quite literally turns things upside-down, such as paintings of Nürnberg and clearly is infatuated by himself. More than by Eva, anyway.

The ideals of the Meistersinger, represented by grotesquely oversized masks and figures of Goethe, Schiller, Bach, Wagner and other German icons dancing naked around, are cast down by Hans Sachs. Sachs also burns doublets of both a conductor and stage director. Subsequently, however, both Walther and Sachs undergo a development from rebels to conformists and conservatives, while Beckmesser on the other hand turns into an angry rebel. Walther changes from paint-splashing rebel to conform family father in a screen-show set up by Hans Sachs in which Beckmesser seems the only authentic participant with his rebellious guitar-accompanied song.

The Bayreuth audience is placed on a secondary stage as witnesses. In Hans Sachs´ infamous “deutsches volk” phrase (which made Konwitschny famously stop the piece in Hamburg) an oversized male statue appears on stage – probably to display the irony of the quotation. In summary, conformity and conservatism is replaced by conformity mixed with more than a touch of cruelty. As I see it.

First of all: I fail to see any major controversy in this staging. Obviously, when compared to the relatively conventional production by Wolfgang Wagner preceding this one, Katharina Wagner´s staging is closer to the Regietheater school than previously seen in Bayreuth and closer to the likes of Konwitschny and Marthaler (though I fail to see the often-quoted similarities between her and Schlingensief) than to her father.

Secondly: There is much good to be said on this production, which I thought had many fine points. However, a bit more discipline in the presentation of the ideas would make them stand out more clearly. A lot is going on at stage simultaneously. But she proved herself a talented, though not fully developed stage director.

Vocally, the evening was largely disappointing. Franz Hawlata´s is a great actor, but Hans Sachs is far too challenging for him vocally. Also Eva was undercasted with a shrill-sounding, non-acting Amanda Mace. Klaus Florian Vogt was in excellent voice as Walther (replacing Robert Dean Smith, who withdrew due to artistical differences). Furthermore he is definitely not a wimp and looks rather good, though in an eerie way. Rather odd, the entrance of Vogt´s Walther playing piano in tennis shoes is an exact copy of a scene in the Baden-Baden 2006 Lohengrin production.

Best of the singers was Michael Volle, with an excellent characterization of Beckmesser.
Unfortunately Sebastian Weigle´s reading was rather unexciting. The prelude started well, but the rest of the piece didn´t seem to flow.

Extended audience applause after Hans Sachs literally put Eva, Walther, David and Lena into two frames. And scattered applause after his monologue as well, something I have never experienced this before – and then in Bayreuth of all places..

I would say the booers just won over those shouting bravo at curtain call, Katharina Wagner seemingly unfazed at her solo curtain call.

These signs were displayed all over the Festival House, though I am not sure why:

Bayreuth 2007: Villa Wahnfried

The major tourist attraction in Bayreuth besides the Green Hill, Villa Wahnfried was Richard Wagner´s residence, located in the center of Bayreuth, the place where he wrote his later works and where he is buried in the garden.
I am in the library in Villa Wahnfried, surrounded by Wagner´s books together with about 20 other visitors listening to old Bayreuth Festival broadcasts (I continue to be amazed at the quality of singers in the 1920´s and 30´s that I have never even heard about). And Maria Callas as Kundry.
Apart from the obvious interest at being in Wagner´s house, seeing the piano used in composing the Meistersinger etc., the most interesting exhibitions here contain the large collection of old stage photographs from the Festival House from 1876 and onwards documenting performance practices in Bayreuth and putting quite a few things into context – at least for me: No wonder, the Chereau staging caused such controversy in 1976 judged by photos from the preceding 1970 Wolfgang Wagner Ring. And again, judged by the stage photos, Meistersinger seems to have always gotten a fairly conservative treatment in. Which may again explain some of the reactions to Katharina Wagner´s new Meistersinger, which is modern in the set-up but not in any way controversial compared to stagings of Wagners works seen elsewhere.

Wagner´s grave covered with flowers from the American Wagner Association:

Quite a few curiosities are on display here, such as a letter from the 1980´s (!) addressed to Herr Richard Wagner, asking him to declare his bank affiliations!

And displays of curious Festspielhaus statistics, such as the duration of all performances from the 1930´s and until 1983 (where the display unfortunately ends), telling us that the greatest time difference of a single performance was between Toscanini and Boulez in Parsifal (Toscanini being 1 hour 8 minutes slower than Boulez). And Barenboim in 1982 conducted the slowest Tristan since Toscanini, who in turn was probably the slowest conductor ever heard in Bayreuth (at least until 1983). I also found the plexi-glass model of the orchestral pit very informative. And the letter to Wieland and Wolfgang Wagner in 1953 complaining that the new stagings of Wagner´s operas in Bayreuth violated Richard Wagners wishes…

In the publicly available computers you may search information on Bayreuth performances until this year. Looking out the window, you look at Wagner´s grave in the back yard covered with flowers from various Wagner Societies. The whole place looks bit run down however, and would greatly benefit from renovation, and maybe some facilities – such as a café etc. The garden is a very nice place to hang around.

Concerts take place here during the festival on non-performance days – this year Robert Holl has sung “Winterreise” and this evening a piano recital with works by Brahms and Beethoven is scheduled.

Also in the garden: The grave of Wagner´s dog.

Bayreuth 2007: Parsifal

Parsifal. Bayreuth Festival 2007. Production: Christoph Schlingensief. Cast: Alfons Eberz (Parsifal), Judit Nemeth/Evelyn Herlitzius (Kundry), Robert Holl (Gurnemanz), Jukka Rasilainen (Amfortas), Karsten Mewes (Klingsor). Conductor: Adam Fischer.

To open at the the 2004 Bayreuth Festival and directed by German provocateur and installation artist Christoph Schlingensief, this Parsifal has been surrounded by controversy and debate ever since. It now plays for the last time and will be replaced by a new Parsifal directed by Stefan Herheim next year.

Parsifal occupies a special place among Wagner´s works in Bayreuth, being written specifically for this stage, where it premiered in 1882. The longest queues outside the Box office are always seen before Parsifal, and this year I noticed people starting to queue up for next days Parsifal, the moment Götterdämmerung of the day before, started.

First of all, this is not the shocking production many, of whom few have actually seen it, will have you believe.

Schlingensief works with a revolving circular set simultaneously displaying several tableaus and with superimposed black-and-white video projections representing either Namibian landscapes or the process of cellular division observed by an electronic microscope.
At these tableaus, different situations were played out involving several non-speaking. He creates an eclectic mix of several cultures: Carribean (several semi-naked black women in Caribbean dressing), African (predominantly video projections from the directors previous trip to Namibia) as well as Christian (multiple symbols relating to Jesus Christ, sin, foregiveness etc.).
A rabbit appeared several times – as a ragged doll, a live animal (which by the was was adopted by the alto soloist Simone Schröder after the performance) and finally as the infamous decaying rabbit corpse. The large on-screen projection showing the decaying rabbit during the final four minutes of the opera was in fact a very powerful image, and the only aspect of the production which I felt had a real potential for controversy. Amfortas appeared in a non-speaking role throughout the opera – especially in the scene between Parsifal and Kundry, and Klingsor put in an extra appearance as well by having his feet washed by Kundry in the 3rd act.

A tentative suggestion as to what may be Schlingensief´s main point: Redemption by intercultural exchange/assimilation? Or maybe not at all.

What remains, however, is that Schlingensief has created a very flickering production. Had he been more disciplined, I would expect his artistic points to have emerged more clearly.

Schlingensief has in fact not directed Wagner´s Parsifal, but created an installation work of art, which I´d be tempted to name “Schlingensief with underlying music from R. Wagner´s opera “Parsifal”". Which does not principally bother me, were it not for the fact, that too much attention was taken away from the music by all the happenings on stage. Furthermore, I was rather busy trying to sort out the multiple ideas presented on stage, making the entire experience rather stressful. Not to mention, I am unconvinced I understood it.

Surprisingly I found the audience perhaps even more undisciplined than Schlingensief. There was an immense amount of noise in the Theatre. A couple of people chose to leave approximately 1 minute into the prelude, scrambling down the hard wooden stairs, before the curtain was up. And throughout people were whispering loudly to their companions about the happenings on stage.

The audience response was predictably not positive. You are not supposed to like this production. I was, however, surprised about the scattered applause after the 1st act, sinceI expected it to be customary not to applaud here. By comparison, in Munich, earlier this year, the auditorium was dead-quiet after the conclusion of the first act.
Patrons have been rumoured to leave this performance after the first act, and accordingly I spotted several people with suche karte signs waiting outside the Festival House after both the first and second act, something I did not see during intermission at the other performances apart from Götterdämmerung (I didn´t see anybody leave, though).

Evelyn Herlitzius was vocally indisposed and acted the part of Kundry, while it was sung outstandingly by Judit Nemeth. Jukka Rasilainen was in good voice as Amfortas, but tended towards yell at certain dramatic points. Robert Holl was in rather good, though not brilliant, shape as Gurnemanz and Karsten Mewes is necessarily in very good physical shape, as he impressively climbed backwards 20 steps up a steep ladder in the middle of his solo. That apart, his Klingsor was rather anonymous. No doubt due to the Festival House acoustics, Alfons Eberz voice, as did most of the others, seemed larger than earlier this year at Deutsche Oper.

However, Parsifal really is a conductors opera. And in that regard I was disappointed by Adam Fischer´s static and anonymous reading.Far away from the glittering brilliance of a Christian Thielemann or the compelling drama of a Daniel Barenboim, which may be heard virtually around the corner.

In brief, there is no musical reason to go and see Parsifal here, house acoustics and history apart, particularly not when you have a vastly superior Parsifal playing just 400 km away. Hardly satisfying for the Bayreuth Wagners.

In summary, I was almost disappointed by the predictability of the staging, expecting major provacations based on available press reports. However, if Schlingensief becomes more organized, he may actually be a rather superb opera director.