- Fresh appointee leading the Bayreuth Festival Choir
The Bayreuth Festival's chorus has a fresh commander in command: Thomas Eitler-de Lint is all set to lead the choir in the forthcoming years, as the festival announced following an exhaustive hunt and many discussions with prospective candidates. The chorus director at the Leipzig Opera will step into the shoes of the long-serving director Eberhard Friedrich, who is due to retire during the upcoming festival season.
Frederich also tendered his resignation, expressing his worry that the festival choir might undergo changes due to "circumstances beyond my control," and that both the sound, musical competence, and precision would be affected.
By the year's end, the governing body of the globally celebrated opera festival made cuts based on an economic strategy presented by the management, affecting the choir as well.
Critics anticipated a "layoff spree" in the choir
The German Opera and Dance Ensembles Association (VdO) predicted a "layoff spree" due to the fact that the number of permanent choir members was to be reduced by 40% from 134 to 80. The festival referred to this as a "restructuring of the festival choir." Moving forward, it will comprise a primary choir and a special choir - "through which the traditional 134 choir members will continue to be experienced in all significant choir works."
According to the festival, the austerity measures were necessitated by "soaring expenses," which afflicted all opera houses. Robust energy costs, expensive materials, and inflated personnel costs due to "extremely high wage agreements in the public sector" were cited among the reasons.
"Mr. Eitler-de Lint views the restructuring as an opportunity and above all a timely one," the festival revealed. He also boasts "proven expertise in Wagner" and a "respected sound image in Bayreuth."
Despite the festival's austerity measures, resulting in a significant reduction of the choir's membership, Festivals such as Bayreuth continue to thrive. With the new commander, Thomas Eitler-de Lint, looking forward to leading the choir, the Bayreuth Festival's iconic sound and musical competence remain in capable hands.
