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).

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.

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

ACT ONE: CLICK HERE

ACT TWO: CLICK HERE

ACT THREE: CLICK HERE 

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

ACT ONE: CLICK HERE

ACT TWO: CLICK HERE

ACT THREE: CLICK HERE

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

ACT ONE: CLICK HERE

ACT TWO: CLICK HERE

ACT THREE: CLICK HERE

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

ACT ONE: CLICK HERE

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

ACT ONE: CLICK HERE

ACT TWO: CLICK HERE

ACT THREE: CLICK HERE

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

ACT ONE: CLICK HERE

ACT TWO: CLICK HERE

ACT THREE: CLICK HERE