Bayreuth 2013

[ARBurton]

The Bayreuth Festival 2013 begins tomorrow with Hollander which is being screened to cinemas - I`m seeing it at Malvern - and is live on Bayern 4 Klassik radio (listenable online at their website). Also on ARD Das Erste (German TV) for those able to receive it via Astra 19.2 on a time-delayed basis, 9.15pm UK time.

Bavarian Radio are also broadcasting the Ring performances on Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday live. They will also carry deferred recordings of Tannhauser and Lohengrin. And as if that weren`t sufficient bounty, 3Sat have a Meistersinger live from Salzburg on 2nd August.

[Flosshilde]

Oh dear - Rhinegold clashes with the Prom Siegfried, unless the timing's different.

Unfortunately the Dutchman doesn't seem to be on in Glasgow

[slarty]

Oh dear - Rhinegold clashes with the Prom Siegfried, unless the timing's different.

Unfortunately the Dutchman doesn't seem to be on in Glasgow

The Dutchman radio broadcast and the Siegfried prom clash with one another. Although the Bayreuth broadcast can be streamed to a computer and the Prom can be recorded the old fashioned way.
Then the Bayreuth Walkure on Saturday clashes with the Proms Tristan broadcast. It's a bit of a feast or famine.

[ARBurton]

Oh dear - Rhinegold clashes with the Prom Siegfried, unless the timing's different.

Unfortunately the Dutchman doesn't seem to be on in Glasgow

I was told by one cinema that these screenings are arranged through Myscreenevent.com whose website is sadly lacking in information about which uk cinemas are actually participating.

[ARBurton]

Just back from the cinema. Resisted the temptation to follow other members of the audience who walked but was sorely tempted. Absolutely terrible production (IMHO) apart from Merbeth`s portrayal of Senta. Just hated it. But will still try to video it from ARD shortly.

[slarty]

I listened to the radio broadcast live and was not over-impressed. I too will try and record it in a few minutes.
I saw a short report on german TV news tonight on the new Ring. I hope that I got it wrong - Rheingold takes place at a Gas Station/Diner on route 66!

[ARBurton]

Oh dear, that can`t be good. I shall have to use a combination of Bayern 4 Klassik and the theatre of the imagination.....

[Petrushka]

Dire productions seem to be the norm these days, whether deliberately provocative or not.

Why don't singers and conductors make a stand against this and refuse to take part? After all, their names carry great weight. I can only assume from the lack of protest that they are happy to go along with it all.

[Beef Oven]

Dire productions seem to be the norm these days, whether deliberately provocative or not.

Why don't singers and conductors make a stand against this and refuse to take part? After all, their names carry great weight. I can only assume from the lack of protest that they are happy to go along with it all.

Money talks

[Prommer]

I will be there in Bayreuth for the third cycle and will report back! After 8 years of applying I somehow have manged to get front row tickets...

[Petrushka]

Money talks

Good point and it's a depressing thought that you're probably right. Even so, the deeply weird productions foisted on to the opera going public make a major artistic clash all but inevitable one day and perhaps those musicians who truly value their art will stand up and be counted.

[Beef Oven]

I will be there in Bayreuth for the third cycle and will report back! After 8 years of applying I somehow have manged to get front row tickets...

you lucky so-and-so

Even after 8 years it's worth it.

Make sure you report back - including details of the lunches, coffees etc

[slarty]

Just back from the cinema. Resisted the temptation to follow other members of the audience who walked but was sorely tempted. Absolutely terrible production (IMHO) apart from Merbeth`s portrayal of Senta. Just hated it. But will still try to video it from ARD shortly.

I'm afraid you were right. The production is terrible and becomes laughable too often. What is much worse is the state of the calibre of singing at Bayreuth these days. I know that Mr Youn stepped in at the last minute last year to save the show, but that was no reason to perpetrate the folly for a further year. His singing is just too small for the role , and a Flying Dutchman without a good singer in the title role is a non starter. The Senta began with a very wobbly tone which improved enormously as the opera continued, the "Wie aus der ferne..." Duet was all but a solo for her. She finished the opera with a tremendous climactic phrase and carried the performance. The great positive was Thielemann's conducting - marvelous!
The orchestra (deprived of it's normal compliment of Berlin Staatskapellers - I believe they are busy in London ) played superbly.
To Answer Flosshilde's point about why the performers don't just stand up and say "enough" , the answer is money and fear. There are very few performers around with the clout of a Netrebko or Kaufmann or Terfel who are able to say "no" ,
And no one wants to be given the tag of being rebellious. The blacklist still exists today.
We need reaction from the public, who would vote with their feet. The Press - don't make me laugh, scandal and controversial productions sell more tickets and more newspapers. The Opera houses themselves need success to mount these ridiculously expensive productions and success is always difficult to find - but scandal - that is much easier to arrange. The recent Dusseldorf Tannhauser went too far and caused an outrage, both politically and moral because the Holocaust is still a subject in Germany not to messed with, and quite rightly so. However I am sure that the opera house would have continued with it had the reaction not been so strong. You can't tell me that the management were unaware of what was being rehearsed on their stage.
I don't mind all this "euro trash" that is being foisted on us as long as I can close my eyes and concentrate on the music.
Although that is getting harder and harder with the dearth of decent quality singers around today.
I would not mind betting that after we have heard the new Ring at Bayreuth this year, we will be much more appreciative of having heard the Current Proms Ring.

[LHC]

Dire productions seem to be the norm these days, whether deliberately provocative or not.

Why don't singers and conductors make a stand against this and refuse to take part? After all, their names carry great weight. I can only assume from the lack of protest that they are happy to go along with it all.

When singers sign up to sing in a new production they often won't know what the production will be like or even who will be directing. If they were to pull out later they would be in breach of their contract. There are also very few with the clout to be able to pull out and still get other employment.

Rene Pape has spoken of his frustration at being directed by amateurs with no understanding of opera, but when asked why he doesn't leave, he has said he feels a responsibility to the other members of the cast not as famous as him and who need the work. He feels it would be unfair to leave them to suffer just because he was well established enough to be able to afford to leave.

[Nick Armstrong]

Money talks

It does. I don't spend mine on opera-going any more... (apart from the very odd exception - that ENO 'Death in Venice' was a sensational production, for instance)

Remember that moment in the 'Behind the Scenes at the ROH' TV series when Bernie Haitink's face fell a mile or more when being presented with the miniature sets of the forthcoming new Ring cycle. I think it was the crashed car that put him off

He went along with it... I suppose even the best artists don't want to veto something in the early stages - maybe they think that they might be wrong in hating a production, that in the final performance something transcendent might emerge...? No? Oh well.