Bayreuth Festival: Of Love and Betrayal
Richard Wagner created a monument to lovers with "Tristan and Isolde.
Richard Wagner created a monument to lovers with "Tristan and Isolde." But the new production by the Bayreuth Festival emphasizes the tale's darker side.An opening weekend full of surprises silenced even notorious critics at the Bayreuth Festival. Firstly, there was the eagerly awaited premiere of "Tristan and Isolde" — an age-old story of star-crossed lovers — directed by Icelandic director Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson.
There was resounding applause for the protagonists, above all for Camilla Nylund as Isolde and tenor Andreas Schager as Tristan, as well as for Christa Mayer as Brangäne, Isolde's chambermaid. Russian conductor Semyon Bychkov was also applauded for not shying away from Richard Wagner's subtle tones and for giving the singers the space they needed. Director Arnarsson and playwright Andri Hardmeier, on the other hand, received rather lukewarm applause. What began with atmospheric scenery and music became somewhat tedious over time. Not much happened on the consistently gloomy stage and the sets themselves remained static.
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Acclaimed debut for Australian conductor
With 60,000 international visitors every year, the Bayreuth Festival is Germany's most important opera festival, with critics and Richard Wagner fans watching the productions very closely.
Australian conductor Simone Young made her Bayreuth Festival debut with flying colors. There was loud cheering, stomping and even a standing ovation for her musical interpretation of the first part of the great Nibelung saga. At 16 hours, Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung" is the longest opera in the world and is performed in four parts.
Last year, director Valentin Schwarz was jeered for his production, which was dismissed as a "Netflix series." Besides Young, two other women are conducting in Bayreuth this season: Oksana Lyniv with "The Flying Dutchman" and Natalie Stutzmann with "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" — which translates to "The Master Singers of Nuremberg." This breaks the male domination of the conductor's podium that once prevailed since the festival's launch in 1876.
The opera 'Tristan und Isolde' was considered unplayable
The focus of this year's festival is the new production of Richard Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" with six further performances. Wagner called his love drama a plot in three acts, which deals with the emotions of two lovers who are torn between blissful ecstasy and inner torment.
The opera itself is no easy fare. It was initially considered unplayable. "It was not premiered until 1865 in Munich, six years after its completion," explains Wagner expert and director of the Richard Wagner Museum in Bayreuth, Sven Friedrich, in an interview with DW. In terms of composition, Wagner transcended the limits of tonality and harmony at that time. "It's music that grabs you and that you can't escape," says conductor Semyon Bychkov. "Wagner pushes the boundaries of tonality, but the music always remains tonal," he says in an interview with the festival.
The third act is a great challenge for the tenor, with Tristan singing almost completely solo for almost 40 minutes about his suffering, his torment and his longing for Isolde. It is probably the longest opera part ever written for a tenor.
A story of love and betrayal
The opera's backstory is tricky: Tristan, a knight from England, has murdered the fiancé of the Irish king's daughter, Isolde, but the two nevertheless fall in love. However, Tristan later promises Isolde to his uncle King Marke as his wife. The plot of the opera begins when Tristan wants to bring Isolde to Marke by sea. For Isolde, the forced marriage is a betrayal of their love, repeatedly standing between them.
Director Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson takes the audience below deck of a shipwreck into the past of the two protagonists and the social constraints that do not allow their union. In the end, their hope dies and the two seek death with the help of poison.
Influenced by other cultures and Buddhism
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) liked to draw on the myths and legends of other cultures. The story of Tristan (which means "the sad one") and Isolde is based on a Celtic legend.
Wagner had also had an affair with Mathilde Wesendonck, the wife of his patron Otto Wesendonck. Wagner and Mathilde were both married to others, thus this was also a "forbidden love."
The composer was also fascinated by India and Buddhism throughout his life. Wagner came to Buddhism via Schopenhauer's philosophy. "Life is suffering because it is dominated by a will, a driving force that holds people captive,” explains Sven Friedrich. This will and this driving force, which also includes the sexual drive, can only be overcome through asceticism and renunciation to reach nirvana — that state of Buddhism in which there is no more suffering.
Wagner had modified this somewhat for himself. For him, the will is overcome not only through renunciation, but also through the power of love, a love that goes all the way to death, the redemption of all suffering.
Looking ahead to the 150th anniversary in 2026
A new production of "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" is planned for 2025. Wagner fans are already looking forward to the 150th anniversary of the festival in 2026, when all 10 Wagner operas from the rotating festival repertoire will be performed. In addition, his early opera "Rienzi" — whose staging Wagner forbade during his time — will be performed for the first time at the Festspielhaus.
This article was originally written in English.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 29, 2024 05:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).