On July 25, the Bayereuth Festival is set to open with a new production of “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.” The production will be streamed on Deutsche Grammophon’s STAGE+ platform and will also have a delayed screening of the inaugural performance across Germany as part of the “Wagner im Kino” initiative. The July 25 premiere will also be televised on a {…}
Following cuts to its 2026 season, the Bayreuth Festival’s leadership is disappointed by the decision. In a statement, Katharina Wagner said she is disappointed about cutting four operas from the anniversary season. She said, “But what should you do? You can’t close your eyes to reality. All of this is also about the medium-term financial planning of the festival… A {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has announced “Bayreuth in Shanghai.” The opera project will be held from 2025 to 2027 and will feature a three-year collaborative scheme between the Bayreuth Festival, Shanghai Grand Theatre, and Shanghai Opera House. The project will see Bayreuth’s productions of “Tristan und Isolde (2025),” “Die Walküre (2026),” and T”annhäuser (2027)” performed in China. The project was announced {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has announced that due to budget cuts, its 2026 season will only present seven operas as opposed to the originally announced 11 works. In a letter obtained by Slippedisc the company said, “The current cost developments pose major challenges for the Bayreuth Festival. …Due to the very high proportion of personnel costs in the overall budget, the {…}
(Photo credit: ©EnricoNawrath) In preparation for the new “Parsifal” at Bayreuth last year, one may have harbored preconceived doubts as to the very idea regarding the use of Augmented Reality eyeglasses. After attending this year’s performances, the doubts lingered; and although this production may not be considered a negative adventure per se, one may not view this experiment as a {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has announced that it is dissolving its chorus. At the end of the season, the company noted that chorus members would have to re-audition for a slot in the new smaller ensemble. The news comes after the festival announced a new chorus director Thomas Eitler – de Lint after Eberhard Friedrich announced he was leaving earlier than {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has unveiled its 2025 season. The season opens with “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” starring Michael Spyres, Georg Zeppenfeld, Christina Nilsson, Christa Mayer, and Matthias Stier. Daniele Gatti conducts and Matthias Davids directs. Performance Dates: July 25 – August 22, 2025 Valentin Schwarz’s “Das Rheingold” will be conducted by Simone Young and features Tomas Konieczny, Olafur Sigurdarson, Daniele Behle, {…}
(Courtesy of Bayreuth Festival) The Bayreuth Festival has announced plans for the 2026 season. The company noted that it would celebrate its 150th anniversary with a special Ring Cycle. The festival noted that while Valentin Schwarz’s 2022 staging of the four-night “Der Ring des Nibelungen” will be revived for the final time in 2025, 2026 will be “not purely a {…}
(Credit: Courtesy of the Bayreuth Festival) The Bayreuth Festival has found a new Chorus director. The company said that, “After an intensive search and numerous discussions with potential candidates, the Bayreuth Festival announces that Thomas Eitler – de Lint will become the new Director of the Bayreuth Festival Chorus, succeeding Eberhard Friedrich, who will reach retirement age in 2025.” Eitler {…}
Eberhard Friedrich has resigned from his position as Chorus Director. The chorus director, who has been at the helm of the chorus since 2000, presented his resignation days before the festival ended and a year before his contract ended in 2025. According to reports, Friedrich was upset at the reduced chorus which saw 134 chorus members reduced to 115 of {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has announced a cast change for its production of “Parsifal” on August 7, 2024. In a statement, Andreas Schager said, “My dear friends, Unfortunately, due to an infection, I have to cancel tonight’s performance of ‘Parsifal.’ I would like to sincerely apologize to anyone who bought tickets for this because of me. This inflammation also made me {…}