Katharina's Meistersinger on DVD

I have written some fragmentary lines about Katharina Wagner's Meistersinger DVD on Wagneropera.net. I would love to hear your opinion on the production and the DVD release if you would like to comment here on the Wagner blog.

Katharina Wagner's Meistersinger on DVD

Bernstein's Wagner Concert in Vienna 1985

Leonard Bernstein's love-hate-relationship with Wagner is well known. He once said that he hated Wagner on his knees. This ambivalence is shared by many Wagner lovers. Late in Bernstein's career he often turned to Wagner. Two of the most important events were the Vienna Wagner concert in 1985 and the six Tristan concerts in Munich in 1980/81. The last resulted in a CD release.

Here is a clip from the Wagner concert in Vienna: Siegfried, Act 3.

Happy Birthday, Ylva Kihlberg!

Today it is Swedish soprano Ylva Kihlberg's birthday. Ylva Kihlberg is a member of the Royal Danish Opera. She sings three roles in the so called Copenhagen Ring on DVD: Gutrune in Götterdämmerung (where she outshines everyone around her with a wonderful stage presence), Gerhilde in Die Walküre and Wellgunde in Das Rheingold. My guess is that we will hear a lot from her the next years...

This season Kihlberg sings Marie (Wozzeck), Countess (Figaro) at the Royal Danish Opera, and in the next couple of years, new roles for are Tatjana (Eugen Onegin) and Cho-Cho-San (Madama Butterfly). Furthermore Poul Ruders has written an opera, based on Lars von Trier's Dancer in the Dark, for her (opens season 2010-11).

Hans Hotter (1909–2003)

Hans Hotter (1909–2003) was born 100 years ago today! How times flies!

Philipp Stölzl's Holländer Premiere at Theater Basel

Today is the premiere of Philipp Stölzl's production of Der fliegende Holländer at Theater Basel (Grosse Bühne).

Stölzl's Holländer will be performed the following dates this season:

23.01.2009, 20:00 Uhr
25.01.2009, 16:00 Uhr
28.01.2009, 20:00 Uhr
31.01.2009, 20:00 Uhr
02.02.2009, 20:00 Uhr
07.02.2009, 20:00 Uhr
22.02.2009, 19:00 Uhr
24.02.2009, 20:00 Uhr
27.02.2009, 20:00 Uhr
08.03.2009, 19:00 Uhr
14.03.2009, 20:00 Uhr
21.03.2009, 20:00 Uhr
28.03.2009, 20:00 Uhr
06.04.2009, 20:00 Uhr
18.04.2009, 20:00 Uhr
20.05.2009, 20:00 Uhr
05.06.2009, 20:00 Uhr


Musikalische Leitung Friedemann Layer,
Gabriel Feltz
Inszenierung Philipp Stölzl
Kostüme Ursula Kudrna
Dramaturgie Brigitte Heusinger

Cast:
Daland Liang Li
Senta Kirsi Tiihonen
Ursula Füri-Bernhard
Erik Thomas Piffka
Mary Rita Ahonen
Der Steuermann Dalands Karl-Heinz Brandt
Der Holländer Alfred Walker

http://www.theater-basel.ch
Philipp Stölzl Homepage

Stewart as Wanderer Vienna Concert 1985

Thomas Stewart as Der Wanderer:



The clip is from a concert in Vienna in 1985. Leonard Bernstein conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Die Walküre Act 3, scene 3 and Siegfried Act 3. Here we see the end of the scene between Wotan and Siegfried in Act 3 of Siegfried. James King sings Siegfried for the first (and only?) time in his life.

Claus Guth Tristan and Isolde: Last Opportunity

Tomorrow is the last opportunity to experience Claus Guth's production of Tristan und Isolde at Opernhaus Zürich this season.

Read more over at Miss Mostly Opera's blog or at Opernhaus.ch

Heiner Müller born 80 years ago

Heiner Müller (1929-95) was born 80 years ago today, on 9 January 1929. He was a German dramatist, poet, writer, essayist and theatre director, but Wagnerians will probably remember him for his Tristan production at Bayreuth (1993-99). Müller and the protagonist Waltraud Meier (who also was born on 9 January) had several disagreements about the production.

Heiner Müller's production of Tristan und Isolde on DVD

More about Heiner Müller on Wikipedia

Happy Birthday, Waltraud Meier!

It is Waltraud Meier's birthday today, 9 January. Meier was born in 1956.

I would be lying if I said i wasn't a fan.

Barenboim's schedule for 4-12 April

This is Daniel Barenboim's schedule for 4-12 April:

04. April: WAGNER: Lohengrin (Premiere)
05. April: MAHLER: Sinfonie Nr. 9 D-Dur
07. April: BRAHMS: Ein deutsches Requiem
08. April: WAGNER: Lohengrin
09. April: SCHUBERT: Winterreise op. 89 D 911 (with Thomas Quasthoff)
10. April: VERDI: Messa da Requiem
11. April: BARTÓK: Klavierkonzert Nr. 2 G-Dur + BERLIOZ: Symphonie Fantastique op. 14
12. April: WAGNER: Lohengrin

I don't understand how this is possible, and I doubt it can be a healthy schedule. It is positive, though, that it enables many people (in Berlin) to experience one of the greatest musicians of our time.

The big question is: When are the rehearsals?

I am lucky to have tickets for the Lohengrin premiere and the Mahler concert.

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