Click here for a schedule of the webcasts of the 2011 Bayreuth Festival performances

Click here to see photographs from Sebastian Baumgarten's new production of Tannhäuser

This summer German director Sebastian Baumgarten will be making his debut at Bayreuth directing a new production of Tannhäuser. Throughout his career, which began as an assistant to Robert Wilson, Mr. Baumgarten has questioned the traditional aesthetic of opera and he looks to the drama for the freedoms that opera denies. He once said in an interview that he is only satisfied once the stage material has emancipated itself from the text on which it is based. Recently he staged a musical spoken theatre version of Tosca at the Berlin Volksbühne, not only drawing on the libretto of Puccini's opera, but also on Victorien Sardou's play La Tosca, while simultaneously blurring the borderline between drama and opera. It should be interesting to see and hear what he does with Tannhäuser this summer.

In addition, this year Bayreuth will host the Israel Chamber Orchestra who will perform works by Richard Wagner as well as Gustav Mahler, Felix Mendelssohn and other Jewish composers who were banned in Germany under the Third Reich. The concert, which will be held the first Tuesday of the festival, is an effort on the part of Katharina Wagner to come to terms with Bayreuth's Nazi past. Click here to read an article on my blog about this historic event.

Below is the complete schedule, with dates and cast lists for the 2011 Bayreuth Festival

Conductor Thomas Hengelbrock Director Sebastian Baumgarten Sets Joep van Lieshout Costumes Nina von Mechow Dramaturgy Carl Hegemann Lighting Franck Evin Video Christopher Kondek Chorus Director Eberhard Friedrich   Landgraf Herrmann Günther Groissböck Tannhäuser Lars Cleveman Wolfram von Eschenbach Michael Nagy Walter von der Vogelweide Lothar Odinius Biterolf Diógenes Randes Heinrich der Schreiber Arnold Bezuyen Reinmar von Zweter Martin Snell Elisabeth Camilla Nylund Venus Stephanie Friede Ein junger Hirt Katja Stuber

Tannhäuser	Performances: July 25, August 1, 7, 13, 19, 25

Conductor Sebastian Weigle Production Katharina Wagner Stage Design Tilo Steffens Costumes Michaela Barth / Tilo Steffens Director Robert Sollich Chorus Director Eberhard Friedrich   Hans Sachs James Rutherford Veit Pogner Georg Zeppenfeld Kunz Vogelgesang Charles Reid Konrad Nachtigall Rainer Zaun Sixtus Beckmesser Adrian Eröd Fritz Kothner Markus Eiche Balthasar Zorn Edward Randall Ulrich Eisslinger Florian Hoffmann Augustin Moser Stefan Heibach Hermann Ortel Martin Snell Hans Schwarz Mario Klein Hans Foltz Diógenes Randes Walther von Stolzing Burkhard Fritz David Norbert Ernst Eva Michaela Kaune Magdalene Carola Guber The Night Watchman Friedemann Röhlig

Meistersinger	Performances: July 26, 30, August 6, 12, 18, 24

Conductor Andris Nelsons Production Hans Neuenfels Sets Reinhard von der Thannen Costumes Reinhard von der Thannen Chorus Director Eberhard Friedrich   Lohengrin Klaus Florian Vogt Heinrich der Vogler Georg Zeppenfeld Elsa von Brabant Annette Dasch Friedrich von Telramund Tómas Tómasson Ortrud Petra Lang Der Heerrufer des Königs Samuel Youn 1. Edler Stefan Heibach 2. Edler Willem van der Heyden 3. Edler Rainer Zaun 4. Edler Christian Tschelebiew

Lohengrin	Performances: July 27, August 2, 8, 14, 20, 26

	Conductor Daniele Gatti Production Stefan Herheim  Sets Heike Scheele Costumes Gesine Völlm Director Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach Chorus Director Eberhard Friedrich     Amfortas Detlef Roth Titurel Diógenes Randes Gurnemanz Kwangchul Youn Parsifal Simon O'Neill Klingsor Thomas Jesatko Kundry Susan MacLean 1. Gralsritter Arnold Bezuyen 2. Gralsritter Friedemann Röhlig 1. Knappe Julia Borchert 2. Knappe Ulrike Helzel 3. Knappe Clemens Bieber 4. Knappe Willem van der Heyden Klingsors Zaubermädchen Julia Borchert, Martina Rüping, Carola Guber, Christiane Kohl, Jutta Maria Böhnert, Ulrike Helzel Altsolo Simone Schröder
Parsifal	Performances: July 28, August 3, 9, 15, 21, 27
	Conductor Peter Schneider Production Christoph Marthaler Costumes & Stage Design Anna Viebrock Chorus Director Eberhard Friedrich     Tristan Robert Dean Smith König Marke Robert Holl Isolde Iréne Theorin Kurwenal Jukka Rasilainen Melot Ralf Lukas Brangäne Michelle Breedt Junger Seemann Clemens Bieber Ein Hirt Arnold Bezuyen Ein Steuermann Martin Snell
Tristan	Performances: July 29, August 4, 10, 16, 22, 28

Click for information about the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Bayreuth Festivals

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