In fernem Land - many versions on Wagneropera.net

On the Themes section of Wagneropera.net, I have started to collect versions of Lohengrin's Grail narrative, In fernem Land (Act 3 of Lohengrin). My personal favourite is Sandor Konya, who is unsurpassed when it comes to expressing the tragedy of Lohengrin's destiny. Konya is THE Lohengrin as a tragic hero. Sandor Konya sang Lohengrin at Bayreuth in 1958, 59, 60 and 1967.

A wonderful, but highly eccentric, version is Ivan Kozlovsky's Gralserzählung. I must confess I had never heard him before I heard this on YouTube. Hearing Lohengrin in Russian is a treat in itself, and Kozlovsky sings both beautifully and with a very personal approach, which I like.

In fernem Land - many versions

New issue of The Wagner Journal

The Wagner Journal is out with a new issue, featuring:

• "Style and Sonority in Wagner String Performance" by David Milsom
• "Reflections on Phrasing and Expressive Gesture in Wagner Singing" by Simon Trezise
• "‘Enthüllet den Gral’: Towards a Methodology of Historical Wagner Recordings" by Roger Allen
• "Gesamt Werk Kunst: A Few New Thoughts" by Keith Warner

Reviews include

• Anti-Romantic Ring Bears Fruit in Orange County. Katherine Syer, drawing on a conversation with Achim Freyer, introduces the new Los Angeles cycle; Simon Williams reviews the first two instalments
• A Holländer for the Credit Crunch. Tash Siddiqui is impressed by the new production at Covent Garden
• Strings Attached. Barry Millington reports on contrasting productions of ‘Lohengrin’ in Berlin and London

Also of great interest: David Breckbill examines the complex artistry of Knappertsbusch

The cover photo shows Klaus Florian Vogt as Lohengrin in the production by Stefan Herheim at the Staatsoper, Berlin.

The Wagner Journal
Subscriptions here

Anne Evans recommends Wagner

Wagneropera.net asked some Wagnerians to recommend Wagner productions on CD or DVD. This is what celebrated Brünnhilde and Isolde, Dame Anne Evans, recommends:

1. Tristan und Isolde (DVD)
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle / Daniel Barenboim.
René Kollo, Johanna Meier, Matti Salminen.
2. Der fliegende Holländer (DVD)
Harry Kupfer / Woldemar Nelsson.
Lisbeth Balslev, Simon Estes, Matti Salminen.
3. Tristan und Isolde (CD)
Carlos Kleiber, Staatskapelle Dresden (DGG, 1982).
René Kollo, Margaret Price, Brigitte Fassbaender, Kurt Moll, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
4. Der Ring des Nibelungen (CD)
Herbert von Karajan. Berliner Philharmoniker.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Jon Vickers, Helga Dernesch, Jess Thomas
5. Szenen aus Götterdämmerung (CD)
Thomas Beecham / London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Frida Leider, Emanuel List, Fritz Soot, Herbert Janssen, Kerstin Thorborg. (Preiser 90266)

Read all the recommendations on Wagneropera.net

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Deutsche Oper's Wagner Explosion

Deutsche Oper normally present an average of 15 performances of wagner operas each year, but the next season it will be 30 performances of different Wagner productions.

First Deutsche Oper start with the "Wagner-Wochen" (Wagner Weeks) from 22 November (Tristan) till 21 February (meistersinger). During this period Deutsche Oper will present almost all Wagner operas and a premiere of Rienzi which has never been produced at Deutsche Oper since its foundation in 1912.

The 2 Ring Cycles (Goetz Friedrich production) start on april 17th - conducted by the new general music director Donald Runnicles .

Matti Salminen's Birthday Today

It is the one and only Matti Salminen's birthday today. What a stage presence that man has! He can make an otherwise dull performance shine just by being present on the stage.

Matti Salminen was born 7 July 1945.

Matti Salminen at Bayreuth

Lohengrin - new production by Richard Jones in Munich

Richard Wagner: Lohengrin. A new production by Richard Jones.
Musical direction: Kent Nagano
Much ado about Jonas Kaufmann as Lohengrin before the premiere yesterday. Other singers: Anja Harteros (Elsa) and Michaela Schuster as Ortrud.

• Festspiele.de: Lohengrin als Anti-Held - Jonas Kaufmann gefeiert

Dress rehearsals at Bayreuth

Dress rehearsals at Bayreuth Festival 2009

17. Juli Tristan
18. Juli Rheingold
19. Juli Walküre
20. Juli Meistersinger
21. Juli Siegfried
22. Juli Parsifal
23. Juli Götterdämmerung

No tickets are available!

Bayreuth Festival 2009

New Lohengrin at Bayerische Staatsoper Tomorrow

Tomorrow 5 July is the premiere of the new Lohengrin production by director Richard Jones at Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich.

Richard Jones' earlier Wagner productions include Der fliegende Holländer at De Nederlandse Opera, Der Ring des Nibelungen at Royal Opera House, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre at Scottish Opera.

Kent Nagano will conduct, and the cast will include Anja Harteros, Jonas Kaufmann, Christof Fischesser, Wolfgang Koch, Michaela Schuster and Evgeny Nikitin.

There will also be an audio-visual live broadcast on Max-Joseph-Platz. Admission free.

Updated 6 July: See video from the premiere of Richard Jones' Lohengrin production at Bayerische Staatsoper in München

Boulez on Mahler

UE Mahler Interviews: Pierre Boulez from Universal Edition on Vimeo.

Maestro Boulez talks, mostly about Mahler and his relationship to Mahler. Very interesting indeed.

Look here for full transcript of the interview

Your Favourite Dysfunctional Marriage in Wagner

Bayreuth Parsifal concept

The dramaturg in Stefan Herheim's production team, Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach interviewed in Bayreuth last year about the Parsifal concept.

Bayreuth 2009: Herheim rehearsing Parsifal

Norwegian star director Stefan Herheim, whose recent Wagner productions, Parsifal at Bayreuth and Lohengrin at Staatsoper in Berlin, opened new doors to appreciating Wagner, is back in Bayreuth, rehearsing Parsifal for the 2009 Festival.

In this video clip we see Herheim rehearsing the Flower Maidens and Parsifal (Christopher Ventris).

Bayreuth Festival 2009: Cast and produtions

Meistersinger in Erl

Tiroler Festspiele Erl 2009 will include a production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

During the festival 2-26 July, Elektra and Fidelio also will be performed. Elektra is mostly performed as a shortened version of Strauss’ composition (“unsingable passages”), but will for the first time (?) be presented in its full length.

FULL PROGRAMME

02.07.2009, 7:00 p.m. | CONCERT
BRUCKNER, Symphony Nr 6

03.07.2009, 6:00 p.m. | LECTURE / OPERA
STRAUSS, Elektra

04.07.2009, 8:00 p.m. | CONCERT
BEETHOVEN, Symphony Nr 9

05.07.2009, 10:00 a.m. | AS PART OF THE LITURGY
SCHUBERT, Mass E flat major

05.07.2009, 7:00 p.m. | SPECIAL
EGGERT, To Be Sung on the Water

06.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
CHAMBERMUSIC 1, Bach, Schedlberger, Shostakovich

07.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
PIANO RECITAL, Bach, Liszt. Chopin

08.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
RECITAL 1, Bach, Messiaen

09.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
HEUTE ABEND LOLA BLAU, Kreisler

10.07.2009, 6:00 p.m. | LECTURE / OPERA
STRAUSS, Elektra

12.07.2009, 11:00 a.m. | SPECIAL
FRANUI & SVEN-ERIC BECHTOLF

12.07.2009, 8:00 p.m. | CONCERT
CHOPIN & TCHAIKOVSKY

13.07.2009, 7:30 p.m.
CHAMBERMUSIC 2, Bach, Dienz, Schubert

14.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
PIANO RECITAL 2, Bach, Schubert, Mussorgsky

15.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
RECITAL 2, Wolf

16.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
TANZLMUSITANGO, Bach, Schubert, Krah

17.07.2009, 5:00 p.m. | OPERA
WAGNER, Meistersinger

18.07.2009, 7:00 p.m. | OPERA
BEETHOVEN, Fidelio

19.07.2009, 11:00 a.m. | CONCERT
SCHUMANN & TCHAIKOVSKY

19.07.2009, 5:00 p.m. | SPECIAL
AKKOSAX, Kranzhorn / Pirchner

20.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
CHAMBERMUSIC 3, Bach, Gander, Messiaen

21.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
PIANO RECITAL 3, Bach, Messiaen

22.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
RECITAL 3, Schreker, Haydn, Schubert, Zemlinsky

23.07.2009, 8:00 p.m.
MEISTER-SINGER

24.07.2009, 8:00 p.m. | CONCERT
BARTOK & TCHAIKOVSKY

25.07.2009, 7:00 p.m. | OPERA
BEETHOVEN, Fidelio

26.07.2009, 11:00 a.m. | SPECIAL
THE ANDREAS HOFER PLAY

26.07.2009, 5:00 p.m. | OPERA
WAGNER, Meistersinger

More at www.tiroler-festspiele.at

New Tristan at Royal Opera House

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, will produce a new Tristan und Isolde next season. Stage director will be Christof Loy. Antonio Pappano will conduct a first class cast led by Nina Stemme and Ben Heppner. Two of my peronal favourites, Micheal Volle and Matti Salminen, will sing Kurwenal and King Marke.

The production will be performed: September 29 October 2-5-9-15 at 5pm and 18 at 3pm

ROH
Christof Loy

More Wagner productions on Wagneropera.net

Countdown LA Opera Ring Cycles

Today it is exactly one year until Los Angeles Opera sets off with its three complete Ring cycles of Achim Freyer's production.



RING CYCLE 1
DAS RHEINGOLD Saturday 5/29/10 7:30 PM
DIE WALKÜRE Sunday 5/30/10 6:00 PM
SIEGFRIED Thursday 6/3/10 6:00 PM
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG Sunday 6/6/10 5:00 PM


RING CYCLE 2
DAS RHEINGOLD Tuesday 6/8/10 7:30 PM
DIE WALKÜRE Thursday 6/10/10 6:00 PM
SIEGFRIED Sunday 6/13/10 12:00 PM
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG Wednesday 6/16/10 6:00 PM


RING CYCLE 3
DAS RHEINGOLD Friday 6/18/10 7:30 PM
DIE WALKÜRE Sunday 6/20/10 12:00 PM
SIEGFRIED Wednesday 6/23/10 6:00 PM
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG Saturday 6/26/10 5:00 PM

http://www.laoperaring.com/
Review of Das Rheingold
Recordings of Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen on DVD

Helene Grimaud on Wagner’s piano in Villa Wahnfried

Hélène Grimaud and the charity event “Kindercamp in Concert” in Bayreuth: Hélène Grimaud will perform in Villa Wahnfried on 24th July 2009, the day before the official opening of the 2009 Bayreuth Festival. Grimaud is performing exclusively for the international charity project Kindercamp Villa Sans Souci. With this charity event Hélène Grimaud is embarking on a series of concerts and cultural events devoted to the Kindercamp Villa Sans Souci initiative.

This concert is given to a limited number of 80 guests who are all dedicated to supporting children and young people with life-threatening illnesses.

Hélène Grimaud will perform part of the programme on Wagner’s original Steinway piano (1876) in addition to playing works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Bach arrangements by Franz Liszt, Ferruccio Busoni and Sergej Rachmaninoff.

The concert concludes the forum Music in Dialog, an initiative of the International Business Magazine Drive, devoted to the subject “Regietheater”. A number of well-known experts including Christian Thielemann, TV producer Dieter Wedel and Laurenz Lütteken from the University of Zurich will discuss Regietheater with Nina Ruge as moderator.

This event will be rounded-off by a public viewing of works by the photographic artist Mat Hennek. Galerie Bernheimer Fine Arts is presenting the international photographer’s works „Soul of Music“, a series of portraits of famous musicians, during the entire Bayreuth Festival.

In 1999 Hélène Grimaud founded the Wolf Conservation Center of South Salem to study the animals’ habits in a natural environment. Alongside notable physicians Hélène Grimaud has become a member of the Board of the German-American Foundation International Kindercamp Villa Sans Souci which was founded in 2006. The activities of the foundation are focused on setting up an institution of medical capacity to support children and young people with life threatening illnesses.

In the magnificent surrounding of Brandenburg with plenty of lakes, young people suffering from physical and psychological disease will be living together to regain power for a new life after a period of pain and misery.

Kindercamp.org
Villa Wahnfried
Bayreuth Festival 2009

Birgit Nilsson (1918–2005) was born today

Swedish super dramatic soprano Birgit Nilsson (1918–2005) was born today, 91 years ago. Nilsson had the voice of a diamond, and is for many the ultimate Isolde and Brünnhilde.

Here she singing Liebestod very late in her career.

"I do not consider myself a representative of the Regietheater"

Wagneropera.net is updated with an interview with Peter Konwitschny, one of the most interesting directors of our time.

The interview was made in co-operation with Mostly Opera.

Peter Konwitschny: I do not consider myself a representative of the Regietheater

Washington Siegfried

Siegfried Pär Lindskog
The Wanderer/Wotan Alan Held
Alberich Gordon Hawkins
Brünnhilde Iréne Theorin
Fafner Gidon Saks
Mime Andreas Conrad

Scenes from Francesca Zambello's production of Siegfried in Washington
Interview with Iréne Theorin

Washington National Opera

Review here

Richard Wagner for Children - The Flying Dutchman

The Bayreuth Festival will during the Wagner Festival in 2009 also show a new production - a specially edited version of The Flying Dutchman for children. It will be part of the project "Richard Wagner for children".

The premiere is on the opening day of the Bayreuth Festival on Saturday, 25 July 2009 on Rehearsal Stage 4.

In the period between 25 July 2009 and 02 August 2009 a total of ten performances will be shown.

Admission for children is free. Adults pay 20 euros per ticket.

Overall concept and text is by Alexander Busche.

Read more on the Bayreuth Festival's Homepage (only in German, it seems)

Meistersinger in Cincinnati

Cincinnati Opera will present Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in a new production, designed by scenic designer Robert A. Dahlstrom. It will be set in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood (also the home of Cincinnati’s Music Hall), paying tribute to the city’s unique and rich German heritage.

Maestro James Levine will conduct a strong cast including James Morris, Korean-American soprano Hei-Kyung Hong (Eva), John Del Carlo (Fritz Kothner), Richard Margison (Walther von Stolzing), Russian bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin (Pogner), Maria Zifchak (Magdalena) and Norbert Ernst (David, a role he also sings at Bayreuth Festival in Katharina Wagner's Meistersinger production). Chris Alexander will direct.

Meistersinger will (in the 2010 season) be performed on:
June: 23, 26

www.cincinnatiopera.org

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Siegfried in Washington - Review

Wagneropera.net's review of Francesca Zambello's production of Siegfried at Washington National Opera is now published. Our reviewer Jerry Floyd found the main singers, Alan Held, Gordon Hawkins and Iréne Theorin great, but he was more reserved about the production.

Read the review of Zambello's Siegfried production at Washington National Opera

Siegfried premiere tomorrow at WNO

Tomorrow May 2 Francesca Zambello's production of Siegfried will give its premiere at Washington National Opera:

The Cast includes Pär Lindskog as Siegfried and Iréne Theorin as Brünnhilde.

Other dates:
May 5, 2009
May 9, 2009
May 14, 2009
May 17, 2009

A message from the younger generation

My not-exactly-Wagnerian son sent me a message via the refrigerator yesterday:



He prefers rap or hip hop or whatever it is called. Unfortunately for him, his room is next to my office, from which Wagner CDs and DVD are being played at Wagnerian volume level now and then. This was his revenge.

Dusty Lohengrin at ROH

Over at Mark Berry's blog Boulezian the revival of Elijah Moshinsky's Lohengrin production at Royal Opera House has instigated a discussion that we don't see too often. The director has serious objections to Berry's review, and writes that he has tried to get ROH to scrap the production from 1977, and is dissatisfied with ROH for not getting proper time and resources to prepare the revival.

Read Berry's review and the interesting comments here

Updated with some reviews
The Telegraph
Intermezzo
Barry Millington
Independent
The Times