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Friday 11 August 2017

RingQuest: Tolkien, A Ring, Heavy Metal & Paul Raymond Gregory


We are often surprised by how many people with an interest in Wagner - and the Ring cycle in particular - also have an interest in Tolkien and the Lord Of The Rings. At the same time, we find a greater than expected number with an interest in heavy metal music (but then a number of metal legends have cited Wagner as an influence - even if "traditional metal" has structurally closer links to baroque).

Tuesday 8 August 2017

Bayreuth Parsifal (2016) Now On DVD & Blu-ray


At least this production has actually made it to DVD. Be warned, there are people this will offend, although probably not as much as good old Monty Pythons excellent, Life Of Brian did to others once upon a time or the equally superb The Last Temptation of Christ

Deutsche Grammophonhas Uwe Eric Laufenberg’s acclaimed production of Richard Wagner’s Parsifal in time for the Festival season. This musical masterpiece was staged for the first time under the direction of Hartmut Haenchen in Bayreuth on 25 July 2016 and will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray from 21 July 2017. Cast: Klaus Florian Vogt as Parsifal, Georg Zeppenfeld as Gurnemanz, Elena Pankratova as Kundry and Ryan McKinny as Amfortas excelled in their roles.

Deutsche Grammophon established a multi-year, exclusive partnership with the Bayreuth Festival in 2016 with Tristan and Isolde: from now on, every new production will be released on DVD/Blu-ray.

Wednesday 2 August 2017

Listen To Bayreuth Festival 2017 - On Demand


First, apologies: the schedule and where to listen to this year's festival should have been auto upload prior to the first performance on the 25th July. It seems that did not happen.  Blame poor programming on our part. Blame the fact we did not check on summer holidays. Even we sneak off occasionally.  To rectify things to some degree, we have posted official links below to where you can still listen to the performances already broadcast. Clicking each link will cause the relevant pop-up player from Bartok Radio.  If you have a pop-up blocker installed you might want to disable it on this occasion. Some of the recordings do not start at the beginning of the performance. If this is the case you can simply forward through a little. There can be a significant amount of forwarding in the case of second and subsequent acts.

Götterdämmerung, of course, will not be broadcast till tomorrow, 3 August. The link will thus not become active till then.



DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG

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 Anne Schwanewilms 
Magdalene, Evas Amme Wiebke Lehmkuhl 
Ein Nachtwächter Georg Zeppenfeld







TRISTAN UND ISOLDE

Conductor Christian Thielemann 
Director Katharina Wagner 
Stage design Frank Philipp / Schlößmann Matthias Lippert 
Costumes Thomas Kaiser 
Dramaturgy Daniel Weber 
Lighting Reinhard Traub 
Choral Conducting Eberhard Friedrich 


Tristan Stephen Gould 
Marke René Pape 
Isolde Petra Lang 
Kurwenal Iain Paterson 
Melot Raimund Nolte 
Brangäne Christa Mayer 
Ein Hirt Tansel Akzeybek 
Ein Steuermann Kay Stiefermann 
Junger Seemann Tansel Akzeybek






PARSIFAL

Conductor Hartmut Haenchen 
Director Uwe Eric Laufenberg 
Stage design Gisbert Jäkel 
Costumes Jessica Karge 
Lighting Reinhard Traub 
Video Gérard Naziri 
Dramaturgy Richard Lorber 
Choral Conducting Eberhard Friedrich

Amfortas Ryan McKinny 
Titurel Günther Groissböck 
Gurnemanz Georg Zeppenfeld 
Parsifal Andreas Schager 
Klingsor Derek Welton 
Kundry Elena Pankratova 
1. Gralsritter Tansel Akzeybek 
2. Gralsritter Timo Riihonen 
1. Knappe Alexandra Steiner 
2. Knappe Mareike Morr 
3. Knappe Paul Kaufmann 
4. Knappe Stefan Heibach 
Klingsors Zaubermädchen Netta Or, Katharina Persicke , Mareike Morr, Alexandra Steiner, 
Bele Kumberger, Sophie Rennert 
Altsolo Wiebke Lehmkuhl







DAS RHEINGOLD

Conductor Marek Janowski
Director Frank Castorf 
Stage design Aleksandar Denić 
Costumes Adriana Braga Peretzki 
Lighting Rainer Casper 
Video Andreas Deinert, Jens Crull 
Technische Einrichtung 2013-2014 Karl-Heinz Matitschka


Wotan Iain Paterson 
Donner Markus Eiche 
Froh Daniel Behle 
Loge Roberto Saccà 
Fricka Tanja Ariane Baumgartner 
Freia Caroline Wenborne 
Erda Nadine Weissmann 
Alberich Albert Dohmen 
Mime Andreas Conrad 
Fasolt Günther Groissböck 
Fafner Karl-Heinz Lehner 
Woglinde Alexandra Steiner 
Wellgunde Stephanie Houtzeel 
Floßhilde Wiebke Lehmkuhl




DIE WALKÜRE 

Conductor Marek Janowski
Director Frank Castorf 
Stage design Aleksandar Denić 
Costumes Adriana Braga Peretzki 
Lighting Rainer Casper 
Video Andreas Deinert, Jens Crull 
Technische Einrichtung 2013-2014 Karl-Heinz Matitschka

Siegmund Christopher Ventris 
Hunding Georg Zeppenfeld 
Wotan John Lundgren 
Sieglinde Camilla Nylund 
Brünnhilde Catherine Foster 
Fricka Tanja Ariane Baumgartner
Gerhilde Caroline Wenborne 
Ortlinde Dara Hobbs 
Waltraute Stephanie Houtzeel 
Schwertleite Nadine Weissmann 
Helmwige Christiane Kohl
Siegrune Mareike Morr 
Grimgerde Simone Schröder 
Rossweisse Alexandra Petersamer






SIEGFRIED

Conductor Marek Janowski
Director Frank Castorf 
Stage Design Aleksandar Denić 
Costumes Adriana Braga Peretzki 
Lighting Rainer Casper 
Video Andreas Deinert, Jens Crull 
Technische Einrichtung 2013-2014 Karl-Heinz Matitschka

Siegfried Stefan Vinke 
Mime Andreas Conrad 
Der Wanderer Thomas J. Mayer 
Alberich Albert Dohmen 
Fafner Karl-Heinz Lehner 
Erda Nadine Weissmann 
Brünnhilde Catherine Foster 
Waldvogel Ana Durlovsk