Music

In Bayreuth, the way to separate even quite often

Andris Nelsons’ notice as a conductor came at very short notice – but, for the Bayreuth circumstances, it was not unusual. The tension of line-up changes have at the Bayreuth festival Tradition.

Only a few days before the Premiere of the new production, a new conductor takes over the musical direction of Wagner’s “Parsifal”: Hartmut Haenchen. In a statement on Tuesday (05.07.2016) was Katharina Wagner, Director of the Bayreuth festival, the decision for the 73-year-old German: “I am Maestro Haenchen very grateful that he agreed in the short term, ready to take on the baton of the new production and look forward to his first engagement at the Bayreuth festival.”

Haenchen presents no slight undertaking, for “Parsifal”, Richard Wagner’s last work, which he composed especially for his Festspielhaus, requires a good knowledge of the particular performance conditions. Haenchen joins a Team that’s rehearsing with the orchestra, choir, soloists and Director Uwe Eric laufenberg since the beginning of June. A Team of Nelsons’ notice of termination on 30. June strong is taken.

Hartmut Haenchen doesn’t have much time to Bayreuth, to cope with

Why has Nelson’s requested resolution of his contract? “Different views in different matters,” the reasons given. The word choice was so General, that they fired the rumors kitchen tidy.

Have upset him unsolicited advice on the part of the festival music Director, Christian Thielemann? There were different views between Nelson and the festival management in relation to staffing issues? Was disturbed by the young Maestro, the man describes as an open and binding manner, at the same time as sensitive and a bit reserved, of the recently introduced increased security measures at the Festspielhaus? Or he came up with to run mountain staging is not clear, in the “Parsifal” in the religious context is interpreted?

All attempts have been denied, and both the game line, as well as the conductor have kept to the intent, no further comments.

Nelsons seems to be happier in Leipzig, where he will be starting in September, the Gewandhaus-Kapellmeister

The Wagner festival attracts every summer, around 60,000 visitors to Bayreuth. Pressure and expectations are accordingly high, voltages. In 1931, it is said, has broken the great conductor Arturo Toscanini and the Festival furiously leave. The occasion was the burgeoning fascistic tendencies.

Andris Nelsons’ the retreat of the most sensational change in personnel in the recent history of the Bayreuth festival might be a festival, however, is by no means the only one, as a small look back reveals:

Bayreuth terminations and Cancellations: a turbulent history

1999: Willy Decker: The experienced German Opera Director should be Wagner’s “Lohengrin” stage. Then, with only a few months in advance, he withdrew and said tersely “artistic reasons” as an explanation. It was the first Time that a Director has returned to the festival the back. The British Director Keith Warner received the award and delivered a solid production.

2000: Hans Sotin: The renowned German baritone had in Bayreuth every Wagner role for his voice sung, and every season without interruption since 1972. Then, just two days before the Premiere of “Parsifal”, in which he was supposed to sing the role of Gurnemanz, left Sotin the “Green hill” in a Rage. “Irreconcilable differences” with conductor Christoph Eschenbach, the reason, the festival management. Another baritone was found and in the following year, a different conductor.

After 18 years, Waltraud Meier will return to Bayreuth

2000: Waltraud Meier: a 17-year courses and in the roles of Kundry, Isolde, Waltraut, and Sieglinde was the German soprano from the audience adores. Then she left Bayreuth in the dispute over the rehearsal schedule. “It is getting worse,” she said of the festival, she had described once as their “musical home”. Recently, it was announced that Meier 2018 to return to Bayreuth to sing in “Lohengrin,” the role of Ortrud.

2004: Martin Kusej: The Austrian Director should “Parsifal” re-interpret. Since 1989, the music drama had been seen on the “Green hill” in the Version from the festival Director Wolfgang Wagner. For a fresh approach should now Kusej. A year and a half before the Premiere, his contract was dissolved by mutual consent. The reason: the “not compatibility of the working principles and ways of staging teams on the one hand, and of the Bayreuth festival, on the other hand”. A replacement was found – the now deceased theatre genius Christoph Schlingensief was certainly more than just a replacement. He presented an ambitious, much-discussed Version of the work, the fixed games scandal humanized and revolutionized. Never the interest in Bayreuth was greater than in the case of Schlingensief’s “Parsifal”.

Christoph Schlingensief died in 2010 of cancer – revolutionized six years after his ‘Parsifal’ in Bayreuth

Two gaps in the “Ring”

2004: Lars von Trier: It should be his first Opera staging. The Danish film Director worked for two years on a scenic concept for the 16-hour four-Opera cycle “the Ring of The Nibelungen”. Two years before the Premiere in 2006, it was clear that his Vision should not be fulfilled. A statement of the Bayreuth festival, were the reasons for his rejection “solely in his personal realization that the dimensions and requirements of this ‘Ring’Version, realistically, would exceed his powers clearly.” Two years may seem long. In the face of the giant plant, the remaining time until the Premiere, however, extremely short. The German writer Tankred Dorst, at the time 79 years old, felt up to the challenge – although he, too, was an Opera newbie. The result – critics and viewers – were was pale.

Lars von Trier worked on his Vision for two years and then realized that she would remain out of reach

2011: Wim Wenders: A film Director, other irreconcilable differences: On-the-hill was the name of it, Wenders interest and more for the filming and marketing of its production, as for the actual requirements of Opera performance. Until April of this year, it was clear that He should no longer be staging the “Ring” in the Wagner anniversary year of 2013. The German theatre professional Frank Castorf was engaged to lead instead – with 24 months – but given the dimensions of the project, so to speak, at the last Minute. Castorf’s production of “the Ring” had an impressive stage pictures, but any of the Gags, little people Director. For these reasons, the opinions diverge since then.

2012: Evgeny Nikitin: After a Video emerged in which the Russian baritone saw him in a rock band played shirtless, and apparently with a tattooed swastika on his chest – was his commitment unceremoniously terminated. Nikitin denied, that he had never had such a Tattoo, left Bayreuth, but nevertheless, only a few days before the Premiere. He was supposed to embody the title role in “The flying Dutchman”. With little time to Practice, and jumped in the Korean Samuel Youn, and was hailed with a standing ovation.

2014: Jonathan Meese: the artist should of “Parsifal” in 2016, the first Opera staging. The mere announcement, observers of the Wagner had a concern. Finally, there was the scandalous painter, the Nazi runes hidden in his works, and the “dictatorship of art” with Nazi salute highlights. The cost of staging is beyond the scope announced the festival in November 2014 and announced its contract. Meese replied: thanks to sponsors he could afford himself the means, in reality, to different aesthetic views. The actual omissions of the artist were dressed in words, you should not quote it here better.

Because of abuse of the Hitler welcome to the Mahler and Ekzentriker Jonathan was accused of Meese and acquitted

2015: Anja Kampe: The German soprano should be the role of Isolde in the Opera “Tristan and Isolde” will sing. Then, less than a month before the Premiere, she withdrew. As usual, the reasons given were very General – with the result that much has been speculated. A new Isolde had not long to wait – Evelyn Herlitzius, but the new production of the festival head Katharina Wagner had to be rehearsed up to the last day – without any rehearsal. A closer sampling plan would have been unimaginable.

2016: Andris Nelsons: See above. Ultimately, the new “Parsifal” at the opening of the festival on August 25. July both a Director as a conductor, other than originally planned.