Richard Wagner Festivals - Bayreuth: 2025 new "Meistersinger" and Thielemann-Comeback
The Bayreuth Festival is bringing on a musical expert for the upcoming season: Director Matthias Davids, artistic head of the musical division at the Landestheater Linz, will stage a new production of "Meistersinger von Nürnberg" at the Richard Wagner Festspiele in 2025. "What's going on now?", he thought when festival director Katharina Wagner called him. He welcomed challenges. "That's a project I'm sure I can be afraid of."
As previously announced, former music director Christian Thielemann is returning to the Festspiele after several years of absence. He will conduct "Lohengrin" with Neo Rauch's scenic design in 2025, which is scheduled for another revival.
For the grand jubilee year 2026, when 150 years of festival history will be celebrated, Katharina Wagner plans a small deviation from the strict canon: Wagner's work "Rienzi" is to be performed at the Festspielhaus.
Beyond that, however, an expansion of the repertoire, as Culture Minister Claudia Roth (Greens) recently suggested, is essentially unthinkable. "That's not possible because it's part of the canon," said Festspielsprecher Hubertus Herrmann. "That's what sets Bayreuth apart."
Roth had brought up the thoughts of a repertoire expansion for this reason as well: Even in Bayreuth, the tickets were no longer selling themselves. However, the festivals were quite satisfied this year, speaking of a quasi sold-out house. Only for a "Parsifal" performance in August were there still tickets available.
Business Manager: Festspiele are financially sound
"Sales in ticket sales are going very well in 2024," said Business Manager Ulrich Jagels. The festivals were currently doing financially well, Jagels emphasized, despite some controversy over ticket price increases. However, in the coming years, they would have to rely on reserves, as the shareholders had announced they would not be increasing their contributions.
55 percent of the budget, which Jagels said was last at 28 million euros, the festivals generate themselves, 10 percent come from the Förderverein der Freunde von Bayreuth, and 35 percent from public funds - from the Federal Government, the Free State of Bavaria, and the City of Bayreuth.
The festivals begin with a new production of the opera "Tristan und Isolde" by Icelandic director Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson, who announced a dark interpretation of the love opera: "Tristan lies dying on the rubble of hopes." The musical direction is by conductor Semyon Bychkov. The title roles are sung by Andreas Schager and Camilla Nylund.
Remembrance of Wagner tenor Stephen Gould
Before the official festival start on Thursday, there was still an Open-Air Concert in the Park at the foot of the Festspielhaus. The festivals remembered the late Wagner tenor Stephen Gould with a moving gesture. The orchestra, under the direction of conductor Nathalie Stutzmann, played not only works by Richard Wagner, George Bizet, and Giuseppe Verdi but also "The Music of the Night" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Musical "The Phantom of the Opera" in his honor.
Gould had always said he became such a successful Wagner interpreter because he first learned to entertain an audience as a musical actor in "The Phantom of the Opera," said moderator Axel Brüggemann.
Gould had died in the previous year after a short, severe illness at the age of 61. For many years, the American had sung the leading roles on the Green Hill.
"Iron Man of the Bayreuth Festivals"
Also in 2023, he was planned for three major roles. One of which he had to cancel due to health reasons. At the end of August of the previous year, he announced his retirement, soon after he shared the information about his severe illness, and on September 19, he passed away.
Open-Air moderator Bruggemann paid tribute to Gould as "The Iron Man of the Bayreuth Festspiele": "He was 'Tristan', he was 'Siegfried', he was the heart of the Bayreuth Festspiele."
Two years ago, Gould himself appeared at the Open-Air concert in the Festspielpark and was cheered on by the audience.
- Christian Thielemann, known for his maestro skills, will conduct "Lohengrin" at the Bayreuth Festspiele in 2025, with Neo Rauch's scenic design.
- Matthias Davids, the musical expert from Landestheater Linz, will stage a new production of "Meistersinger von Nürnberg" at the Richard Wagner Festspiele in 2025.
- Katharina Wagner, the festival director, plans to deviate from the strict canon for the grand jubilee year 2026 and perform Wagner's work "Rienzi" at the Festspielhaus.
- Festivals in Bayreuth are financially sound, with 55% of their budget generated through ticket sales, 10% from the Förderverein der Freunde von Bayreuth, and 35% from public funds.
- The opera "Tristan und Isolde" by Icelandic director Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson will open the festivals with a dark interpretation, conducted by Semyon Bychkov.
- The festivals remembered the late Wagner tenor Stephen Gould with a moving tribute at an Open-Air Concert, played by the orchestra under conductor Nathalie Stutzmann.
- Axel Brüggemann, the moderator of the Open-Air concert, paid tribute to Gould as "The Iron Man of the Bayreuth Festspiele," a title he earned through his leading roles and dedication to the festivals.
