Bayreuth 2011 Preview: Tannhauser.

Sebastian Baumgarten: The man to rescue
 Tannhauser from its text?

Yes, it's nearly that time again - Bayreuth! You may not be there - unless you have: lined up for the last 10 years, bought a ticket on an immensely overpriced tour, are a member of the press, a member of a Wagner Society, a member of the "Friends of Bayreuth" a German politician, Steven Fry making a documentary about Stephen Fry...sorry, I mean Richard Wagner or acquired a ticket by some other means - but it's likely you will catch a radio broadcast somewhere or catch Lohengrin on ARTE. Love it or hate it,  this has to be done. So, in the first part of an ongoing series, right up to the first performance on the 25 July, I present a preview of this years opener:


TANNHÄUSER.

It's a new production! (Bayreuth loves a revival) What will it look like? Giant Mice? Tiny Mice? No mice at all? The mind boggles, but it should be interesting - at the very least.

Conductor:Thomas Hengelbrock - First time at Bayreuth. Want to know what the press have said about him? Go to his website here

Director: Sebastian Baumgarten - This is going to be interesting: What someone else has said about him:"Sebastian Baumgarten 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". So, what do his productions look like? Really? You want to see? Well, you asked for it:





Stage design: Joep van Lieshout
Costumes: Nina von Mechow
Dramaturgy: Carl Hegemann
Lighting: Franck Evin
Video: Christopher Kondek
Choral Conducting: Eberhard Friedrich
Landgraf Herrmann: Günther Groissböck
Tannhäuser: Lars Cleveman

Wolfram von Eschenbach: Michael Nagy
Walther von der Vogelweide: Lothar Odinius
Biterolf: Diógenes Randes
Heinrich der Schreiber: Arnold Bezuyen
Reinmar von Zweter: Martin Snell
Elisabeth, Nichte des Landgrafen: Camilla Nylund

Venus: Stephanie Friede
Ein junger Hirt:Katja Stuber

When?

Monday 25. July  Tannhäuser I
Monday 01. August Tannhäuser II
Sunday 07. August Tannhäuser III
Saturday 13. August Tannhäuser IV
Friday 19. August Tannhäuser V
Thursday 25. August Tannhäuser VI