Fight of the Valkyries

[justjohn]

_{(I love Wagner)}

Fight of the Valkyries: The Wagners' bitter struggle for control of their own opera festival

Next month, the Bayreuth Festival will announce its first new director in 57 years – and the battle between the glamorous young Katharina Wagner and two elderly relatives for the coveted post has revealed ambition, treachery and grief worthy of the juiciest opera

The Bayreuth Festival opened last Friday with the premiere of the Norwegian director Stefan Herheim's production of Parsifal that also closes proceedings on 28 August. This new staging of Richard Wagner's final opera – written specially for the Festspielhaus (Festival Theatre) he founded in the small Bavarian town – is the major artistic event in the month-long celebration of the composer's works that has been held most years since 1876. Yet, as rapt as Wagner's swansong will doubtless keep the Bayreuth audiences, the scenes off-stage are likely to be as operatic as any on it. At the end of August, the Wagner family, after a bitter and drawn-out internecine struggle, will finally come to a decision as to which of them will succeed the composer's ageing grandson and run the festival in the future.




_{Golden girl: Katharina Wagner is favourite to succeed her ailing father as director of the Bayreuth Festival}

If you like opera, more Here:

lyxus.net/keu

[Bob S]

;D ;D Hey Skeeter. I saw that whole "Ring Cycle". It was performed about 6 years ago at the Kennedy Center and broadcast over PBS. The "Ring Cycle" was performed through the 4 nights as perscribed by Wagner. Too bad that the Beyreuth festival and the opera was corrupted by and taken over by the Nazis.

[karl]

J.J.

With the quickness of turn over, I was some how t miss your post, sorry

I see also you enjoy Wagner, as so my self..but for as the Beyreuthr Festspiel is held in Bavaria, I have not for various reasons of the time, attended {darn}.

And yes, as your presentation describes, the family Wagner do/has been very divided with the individual power plays of the family. It would so seem the grand-daughters of: Eva and Katherina won out. In the following url will provide the total of information {right clicken of Administration will show}.

www.bayreuther-festspiele.de/english/mitwirkende/9/infos_213.htm

The following magizine has to the right click, an interesting story describing of: Steffen Möller {self describes as {Gastarbeiter in Polen}

www.magazine-deutschland.de/index_ENG_E1.php?&lang=eng

The following url is commercial, but has good photos of Beyreuth
www.galenfrysinger.com/bayreuth.htm

And you are very correct with title {Fight of The Valkyries}

www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3592834,00.html

Karl

[justjohn]

Sept 2, 2008 20:28:00 GMT -7 Bob S said:

;D ;D Hey Skeeter. I saw that whole "Ring Cycle". It was performed about 6 years ago at the Kennedy Center and broadcast over PBS. The "Ring Cycle" was performed through the 4 nights as perscribed by Wagner. Too bad that the Beyreuth festival and the opera was corrupted by and taken over by the Nazis.

Bob,

What was your opinion on the performances?

[Bob S]

;D ;D Well Skeeter. I have never seen the "Ring Cycle" performed before either live or on the tube. However I did enjoy it very much. The Sets, Costumes and music was very good and the Performers did their best to put on a good performance. I did enjoy the entire performance and my wife knew that there were four nights of no interruptions. If the opera is done again I'll watch it once more and then perhaps I can give a better opinion. ;D ;D