Bayreuth 2010 Productions

Bayreuth has announced that a new production of Lohengrin by the controversial German stage director, Hans Neuenfels, will debut in 2010. At the 2000 Salzburg Festival Neuenfels’ production of Mozart's Così fan tutte, included huge insects and background videos (some of which were erotic) distracting attention from the singers. And were the singers pissed! During Fiordiligi’s fiery aria, “Come scoglio,” she arrived onstage walking two men, in leather and chains, as if they were dogs. Soprano Karita Mattila called it her worst experience. Neuenfels’ 2003 Deutsche Oper Berlin production of Mozart’s Idomeneo included a scene in the epilog in which Idomeneo staggers on stage carrying the decapitated heads of Neptune, Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad.

Clearly this will not be your father’s Lohengrin. Annette Dasch is to sing Elsa, Evelyn Herlitzius is to sing Ortrud, and Jonas Kaufmann to sing Lohengrin. Sweating in the pit will be conductor Andris Nelson.

In other news auf den Grünen Hügel, it is whispered that Sebastian Baumgarten will produce a new Tannhäuser in 2011 and in 2012 Christian Thielemann will conduct a new production of Der Fliegender Holländer with Adrienne Pieczonka as Senta. At this time, no one has fessed up to doing the staging. There will be no new Ring until 2013. Yep, 2013. Of course, according to the Mayan calendar, the world ends in December of 2012, so perhaps we will be spared after all.

2010 Dates

As in past years, we will be ordering tickets to the third cycle of the 2009 Festspiel. The dates are Ring: Aug 20,21,23,25; Parsifal Aug 26, Lohengrin Aug 27, and Meistersinger Aug 28. Again, the number of tickets requested will reflect the interest expressed by our members before we order. Therefore, to meet the anticipated Bayreuth deadline of 15 October, members wishing to attend Bayreuth in 2010 must submit requests by the 23rd of September 2009. Exact costs will not be known until we receive our order form in September, but based on past years we anticipate that the price of a ticket to The Ring would range from $600 - $900, and $450 to $750 for the other three. Tickets to individual operas are not available. The exact price will depend on the specific tickets allocated (if any) and the exchange rate. This year, members may request Ring tickets, a set of non-Ring tickets, or both. If you intend to request both, please indicate whether or not you would be willing to accept only Ring tickets or non-Ring tickets, as well as your preference.