Click here for a schedule of the webcasts of the 2013 Bayreuth Festival performances.
Click here to see pictures from this year's new production of The Ring of the Nibelung.

This summer the Bayreuth Festival will mount a new production of The Ring of the Nibelung. It will be conducted by Kirill Petrenko, and it will be directed by Frank Castorf (pictured above). Mr. Castorf is well-known to audiences in Germany as the head of Berlin's second largest state-owned theater, the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. He is also a devout deconstructionist, and thus is infamous for tinkering with the original text of a play in his avant-garde productions.

Mr. Castorf has revealed that his new Ring at the Green Hill will use a revolving stage, as well as film. The powers that be at Bayreuth have also revealed that a clause has been added to his contract forbidding him to tamper with Wagner's original words or music. His production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Volksbühne, for example, used only one opera singer (the rest were vocally untrained actors) and the opera narrative was often interrupted by readings of texts by Ernst Toller, a Jewish writer who managed to escape Nazi Germany, and who later committed suicide by hanging himself in a New York City hotel room in 1939.

Regarding his new Ring at Bayreuth, Mr. Castorf has described the story as "a journey towards the gold of our times, oil" which will start "some time after the Second World War." On one side of the revolving stage the audience will see Berlin's Alexanderplatz, representing postmodern socialism, and as the stage turns Wall Street will appear.  Mr. Castorf admits he doesn't exactly know where he's going with this Ring yet, but he's having fun finding out.

For a taste of Mr. Castorf's work, watch his short film Greed, a deconstruction of Frank Norris's naturalistic novel McTeague, as well as a homage to Erich von Stroheim's 1924 silent film masterpiece.

As part of the Richard Wagner year, Bayreuth has commissioned 500 statues of the composer, each measuring one meter in height, in a standing conductor's pose, in all kinds of wild, crazy colors. The statues have been placed around town as well as on the lawns of the Festspielhaus. They are the work of artist Ottmar Hörl, who in the past has also made similar installations, such as multiple mini statues of Karl Marx, and a more controversial one featuring garden gnomes giving a "Sieg Heil" Nazi salute.

 This summer, the Bayreuth Festival will present the following works. Casts and dates are listed below.
Conductor
Christian Thielemann
Director
Jan Philipp Gloger
Set Design Christof Hetzer
Costumes
Karin Jud
Dramaturgy Sophie Becker
Lighting
Urs Schönebaum
Video Martin Eidenberger
Chorus Director Eberhard Friedrich
   
Daland
Franz-Josef Selig
Senta Ricarda Merbeth
Erik Michael König
Mary Christa Mayer
Der Steuermann
Benjamin Bruns
Der Holländer
Samuel Youn

Der fliegende Holländer

Performances: July 25, August 3, 6, 13, 20, 24
 
Conductor
Axel Kober
Director
Sebastian Baumgarten
Set Design 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 Torsten Kerl
Wolfram von Eschenbach Michael Nagy
Walter von der Vogelweide Lothar Odinius
Biterolf
Thomas Jesatko
Heinrich der Schreiber
Stefan Heibach
Reinmar von Zweter
Martin Snell
Elisabeth Camilla Nylund
Venus
Michelle Breedt
Ein junger Hirt Katja Stuber

Tannhäuser

Performances: August 1, 4, 7, 12, 18, 28
 
coffin
Conductor Andris Nelsons
Production Hans Neuenfels
Set Design Reinhard von der Thannen
Costumes Reinhard von der Thannen
Chorus Director Eberhard Friedrich
   
Lohengrin
Klaus Florian Vogt
Heinrich der Vogler Wilhelm Schwinghammer
Elsa von Brabant Annette Dasch
Friedrich von Telramund Thomas J. Mayer
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: August 2, 5, 8, 11, 26
 
Conductor Kirill Petrenko
Director Frank Castorf
Stage Design Aleksandar Denić
Costumes Adriana Braga Peretzki
Lighting Rainer Casper
 
Wotan Wolfgang Koch
Donner Oleksandr Pushniak
Froh Lothar Odinius
Loge Norbert Ernst
Fasolt Günther Groissböck
Fafner Sorin Coliban
Alberich Martin Winkler
Mime Burkhard Ulrich
Fricka Claudia Mahnke
Freia Elisabet Strid
Erda Nadine Weissmann
Woglinde Mirella Hagen
Wellgunde Julia Rutigliano
Floßhilde Okka von der Damerau

Das Rheingold

Performances: July 26, August 10, 14, 22
 
Conductor Kirill Petrenko
Director Frank Castorf
Stage Design Aleksandar Denić
Costumes Adriana Braga Peretzki
Lighting Rainer Casper
 
Siegmund Johan Botha
Hunding Franz-Josef Selig
Wotan Wolfgang Koch
Sieglinde Anja Kampe
Brünnhilde Catherine Foster
Fricka Claudia Mahnke
Gerhilde Allison Oakes
Ortlinde Dara Hobbs
Waltraute Claudia Mahnke
Schwertleite Nadine Weissmann
Helmwige Christiane Kohl
Siegrune Julia Rutigliano
Grimgerde Geneviève King
Rossweisse Alexandra Petersamer

Die Walküre

Performances: July 27, August 15, 23
 
Conductor Kirill Petrenko
Director Frank Castorf
Stage design Aleksandar Denić
Costumes Adriana Braga Peretzki
Lighting Rainer Casper
 
Siegfried Lance Ryan
Mime Burkhard Ulrich
Der Wanderer Wolfgang Koch
Alberich Martin Winkler
Fafner Sorin Coliban
Erda Nadine Weissmann
Brünnhilde Catherine Foster
Waldvogel Mirella Hagen

Siegfried

Performances: July 29, August 17, 25
 
Conductor Kirill Petrenko
Director Frank Castorf
Stage design Aleksandar Denić
Costumes Adriana Braga Peretzki
Lighting Rainer Casper
Choral Director Eberhard Friedrich
 
Siegfried Lance Ryan
Gunther Alejandro Marco-Buhrmester
Hagen Attila Jun
Alberich Martin Winkler
Brünnhilde Catherine Foster
Gutrune Allison Oakes
Waltraute Claudia Mahnke
1. Norn Okka von der Damerau
2. Norn Claudia Mahnke
3. Norn Christiane Kohl
Woglinde Mirella Hagen
Wellgunde Julia Rutigliano
Floßhilde Okka von der Damerau

Götterdämmerung

Performances: July 31, August 19, 27
 
Click for information about the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and the 2012 Bayreuth Festivals