Click HERE for the webcast schedule of the 2019 Bayreuth Festival |
Click HERE for pictures of the 2019 production of Tannhäuser |
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| This summer the Bayreuth Festival will stage a new production of Tannhäuser directed by Tobias Kratzer (pictured above), with sets and costumes by Rainer Sellmaier. It will replace the controversial 2011 Sebastian Baumgarten production, which I was able to see during my first trip to Bayreuth in 2012. This new production will be conducted by Valery Gergiev. |
| Mr. Kratzer is 39 years old and is known as a visionary who especializes in classical and new works. His memorable staging of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto led to a tenure at the Bavarian State Opera. His upcoming Tannhäuser promises to be as controversial as the one it is replacing, especially if we take into account the production of this opera that Kratzer and Sellmaier staged at the Theatre Bremen in the 2010-2011 season. Below you can see a video ad for this production, which just might serve as a trailer for the upcoming Bayreuth staging. |
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| Valery Gergiev, here pictured listening to Anna Netrebko, will be making his Bayreuth debut this year conducting the new Tannhäuser production. |
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| Superstar Anna Netrebko will make her debut at the Green Hill singing the role of Elsa von Brabant in Lohengrin. She will be singing only two performances of the role (August 14 and 18) alongside Piotr Beczala. Sharing the role of Elsa will be Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova. This is the second year for this production which was directed by Yuval Sharon. |
| This summer, the Bayreuth Festival will present the following works. Casts and dates are listed below. |
TannhäuserJuly 25, 28 August 13, 17, 21, 25 |
| Conductor | Valery Gergiev | ||
| Production | Tobias Kratzer | ||
| Set Design & Costumes | Rainer Sellmaier | ||
| Lighting | Reinhard Traub | ||
| Chorus Director | Eberhard Friedrich | ||
| Landgraf Hermann |
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| Tannhäuser | Stephen Gould | ||
| Wolfram von Eschenbach | Markus Eiche | ||
| Walther von der Vogelweide | Daniel Behle | ||
| Biterolf |
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| Heinrich der Schreiber | Jorge Rodríguez-Norton | ||
| Reinmar von Zweter | Wilhelm Schwinghammer | ||
| Elisabeth | Lise Davidsen | ||
| Venus | Ekaterina Gubanova | ||
| Ein junger Hirt | Katharina Konradi | ||
LohengrinJuly 26, 29 August 3, 7, 19, 14 |
| Conductor | Christian Thielemann | ||
| Production | Yuval Sharon | ||
| Set Design & Costumes | Neo Rauch & Rosa Loy | ||
| Lighting | Reinhard Traub | ||
| Chorus Director | Eberhard Friedrich | ||
| Lohengrin |
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| Heinrich der Vogler | Georg Zeppenfeld | ||
| Elsa von Brabant | Anna Netrebko & Krassimira Stoyanova | ||
| Friedrich von Telramund | Tomasz Konieczny | ||
| Ortrud |
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| Der Heerrufer des Königs | Egils Silins | ||
| 1. Edler | Michael Gniffke | ||
| 2. Edler | Tansel Akzeybeck | ||
| 3. Edler | Raimund Nolte | ||
| 4. Edler | Timo Riihonen | ||
Die Meistersinger von NürnbergJuly 27, 31 August6, 10, 24, 27 |
| Conductor | Philippe Jordan | |
| Director | Barrie Kosky | |
| Stage design | Rebecca Ringst | |
| Costumes | Klaus Bruns | |
| Choral Conducting | Eberhard Friedrich | |
| Dramaturgy | Ulrich Lenz | |
| Lighting | Franck Evin | |
| Hans Sachs, Schuster | Michael Volle | |
| Veit Pogner, Goldschmied | Günther Groissböck | |
| Kunz Vogelgesang, Kürschner | Tansel Akzeybek | |
| Konrad Nachtigal, Spengler | Armin Kolarczyk | |
| Sixtus Beckmesser, Stadtschreiber | Johannes Martin Kränzle | |
| Fritz Kothner, Bäcker | Daniel Schmutzhard | |
| Balthasar Zorn, Zinngießer | Paul Kaufmann | |
| Ulrich Eisslinger, Würzkrämer | Christopher Kaplan | |
| Augustin Moser, Schneider | Stefan Heibach | |
| Hermann Ortel, Seifensieder | Raimund Nolte | |
| Hans Schwarz, Strumpfwirker | Andreas Hörl | |
| Hans Foltz, Kupferschmied | Timo Riihonen | |
| Walther von Stolzing | Klaus Florian Vogt | |
| David, Sachsens Lehrbube | Daniel Behle | |
| Eva, Pogners Tochter | Camilla Nylund | |
| Magdalene, Evas Amme | Wiebke Lehmkuhl | |
| Ein Nachtwächter | Wilhelm Schwinghammer | |
Tristan und IsoldeAugust 1, 9, 16, 20, 23, 28 |
| Conductor | Christian Thielemann | |
| Director | Katharina Wagner | |
| Stage design | Frank Philipp Schlößmann Matthias Lippert |
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| Costumes | Thomas Kaiser | |
| Dramaturgy | Daniel Weber | |
| Lighting | Reinhard Traub | |
| Choral Conducting | Eberhard Friedrich | |
| Tristan | Stephen Gould & Stefan Vinke | |
| Marke | Georg Zeppenfeld | |
| Isolde | Petra Lang | |
| Kurwenal | Greer Grimsley | |
| Melot | Raimund Nolte | |
| Brangäne | Christa Mayer | |
| Ein Hirt | Tansel Akzeybek | |
| Ein Steuermann | Kay Stiefermann | |
| Junger Seemann | Tansel Akzeybek | |
ParsifalJuly 30, August 2, 5, 15, 19, 22, 26 |
| Conductor | Semyon Bichkov | |
| Director | Uwe Eric Laufenberg | |
| Stage design | Gisbert Jäkel | |
| Costumes | Jessica Karge | |
| Lighting | Reinhard Traub | |
| Dramaturgy | Richard Lorber | |
| Choral Conducting | Eberhard Friedrich | |
| Amfortas | Ryan McKinny | |
| Titurel | Wilhelm Schwinghammer | |
| Gurnemanz | Günther Groissböck | |
| Parsifal | Andreas Schager | |
| Klingsor | Derek Welton |
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| Kundry | Elena Pankratova | |
| 1. Gralsritter | Martin Homrich | |
| 2. Gralsritter | Timo Riihonen | |
| 1. Knappe | Alexandra Steiner | |
| 2. Knappe | Mareike Morr | |
| 3. Knappe | Paul Kaufmann | |
| 4. Knappe | Stefan Heibach | |
| Altsolo | Wiebke Lehmkuhl | |
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