Bayreuth 2009
This year there was no premiere, which meant we saw an production we already knew for the second time - Tristan und Isolde by Christoph Marthaler, as it happens, which shezan has seen when she visited. Nothing had changed much. The Tristan (Robert Dean Smith) was still bland, though he did improve somewhat in the third act, the Isolde - Iréne Theorin - was way better, and the direction was still not making much sense.
However, behind the scenes much drama continues to go on, with the endless soap opera provided by members of the Wagner family. Now last year, Gudrun Wagner suddenly died. Gudrun was Wolfgang Wagner (last surviving grandchild of Richard W., so you get your dynastic connection right)'s second wife and the reason for his fallout not just with wife No.1 but the children from this marriage, including his oldest daughter, Eva. Who is in her early sixties by now and was the Wagner estate's original choice as Wolfgang's successor. Wolfgang insisted on Katharina, Gudrun's daughter. Much struggle in public ensued. After Gudrun died, there was a big reconciliation and Eva and Katharina declared they'd lead the Festival jointly, which is what they're doing this year. Except that Eva is sort of the invisible woman. Last year she declared confidently, re: Katharina, "I have a daughter in her age, I can handle young women". This, considering Katherina is doing all the publicity and seems to be the deciding voice still, seems to have been somewhat hubristic. Which all wouldn't matter if the festival itself would florish. However, the only thing everyone is happy with this year is a "Wagner for children" innovation - in addition to the regular festival program, there is a production of Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) for children in order to interest kids in Wagner, which has been a resounding success both with the kids and with the critics. So everyone loves the Dutchman for kids, and working in the Dutchman for kids. Nobody loves anything else, especially not working in anything else. I already couldn't believe my eyes when Katharina declared in a newspaper interview, when asked why there were world class stars among the singers in Bayreuth anymore, "well, one can't have a great Tristan or Siegfried every year. But you can look forward to the Tristan production of 2015!" (As mentioned, I'm not crazy about the current Tristan myself, but I'm not leading the Bayreuth Festival. A Festival leader is supposed to be supportive of her singers, musicians and directors!) Yesterday, my regular source for Bayreuth gossip told me things are even worse than that interview lead me to suspect. During the rehearsal for Parsifal, Katharina told the soloists, "well, ladies and gentlemen, three of you won't be coming back next year". When the tenor who sings Parsifal himself, Christopher Ventriss, wanted a ticket for Die Meistersinger (as it happens Katharina's own much boo-ed production), he was told he could only get a ticket for Parsifal, i.e. the production he stars in, not for any of the others. Gudrun's assistant of 20 years got fired.
"Now I realize how good a festival leader Old Wagner" - i.e. Wolfgang - "was," sighed my source. "What we all took for granted. He knew everyone's name. Whether you were responsible for the stage lights or a violinist in the orchestra or a leading singer. He talked to everyone. If in someone's office or wardrobe the water didn't run rightly, he took care of that, too. It wasn't that he paid better but he was there, you know? He was personal with everyone."
With Wolfgang in the throws of senility and out of the picture now (nobody has seen him since Gudrun's funeral, and King Lear inspired suggestions as to his fate are running rampant) and Eva being the invisible woman, it looks like Katharina is fastly making herself the most unpopular woman among the Wagner-producing world. Stay tuned for more next year.
However, behind the scenes much drama continues to go on, with the endless soap opera provided by members of the Wagner family. Now last year, Gudrun Wagner suddenly died. Gudrun was Wolfgang Wagner (last surviving grandchild of Richard W., so you get your dynastic connection right)'s second wife and the reason for his fallout not just with wife No.1 but the children from this marriage, including his oldest daughter, Eva. Who is in her early sixties by now and was the Wagner estate's original choice as Wolfgang's successor. Wolfgang insisted on Katharina, Gudrun's daughter. Much struggle in public ensued. After Gudrun died, there was a big reconciliation and Eva and Katharina declared they'd lead the Festival jointly, which is what they're doing this year. Except that Eva is sort of the invisible woman. Last year she declared confidently, re: Katharina, "I have a daughter in her age, I can handle young women". This, considering Katherina is doing all the publicity and seems to be the deciding voice still, seems to have been somewhat hubristic. Which all wouldn't matter if the festival itself would florish. However, the only thing everyone is happy with this year is a "Wagner for children" innovation - in addition to the regular festival program, there is a production of Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) for children in order to interest kids in Wagner, which has been a resounding success both with the kids and with the critics. So everyone loves the Dutchman for kids, and working in the Dutchman for kids. Nobody loves anything else, especially not working in anything else. I already couldn't believe my eyes when Katharina declared in a newspaper interview, when asked why there were world class stars among the singers in Bayreuth anymore, "well, one can't have a great Tristan or Siegfried every year. But you can look forward to the Tristan production of 2015!" (As mentioned, I'm not crazy about the current Tristan myself, but I'm not leading the Bayreuth Festival. A Festival leader is supposed to be supportive of her singers, musicians and directors!) Yesterday, my regular source for Bayreuth gossip told me things are even worse than that interview lead me to suspect. During the rehearsal for Parsifal, Katharina told the soloists, "well, ladies and gentlemen, three of you won't be coming back next year". When the tenor who sings Parsifal himself, Christopher Ventriss, wanted a ticket for Die Meistersinger (as it happens Katharina's own much boo-ed production), he was told he could only get a ticket for Parsifal, i.e. the production he stars in, not for any of the others. Gudrun's assistant of 20 years got fired.
"Now I realize how good a festival leader Old Wagner" - i.e. Wolfgang - "was," sighed my source. "What we all took for granted. He knew everyone's name. Whether you were responsible for the stage lights or a violinist in the orchestra or a leading singer. He talked to everyone. If in someone's office or wardrobe the water didn't run rightly, he took care of that, too. It wasn't that he paid better but he was there, you know? He was personal with everyone."
With Wolfgang in the throws of senility and out of the picture now (nobody has seen him since Gudrun's funeral, and King Lear inspired suggestions as to his fate are running rampant) and Eva being the invisible woman, it looks like Katharina is fastly making herself the most unpopular woman among the Wagner-producing world. Stay tuned for more next year.
