A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John 13:34 The July 14, 2022 performance of Parsifal marked not only the end of the mammoth Oper Leipzig Wagner 22 Festival, during which every stage work written by Wagner was performed in chronological order of composition; it also marked the end of Ulf Shirmer’s tenure as General...
Several of the many profound pleasures of the Leipzig Ring were unique. One was the chance to experience the work in four consecutive nights, without pause. Another was the chance to experience the work in its chronological setting – that is, as it fits in the development of Wagner’s artistry: coming after Lohengrin, “during” Tristan and Meistersinger, and before Parsifal. Having taken a detour...
Oper Leipzig’s 2021 production of Die Meistersinger was staged by David Pountney, the famed British director of traditional and contemporary work (including the Ring in Chicago and the world premiere of Philip Glass’ The Voyage at the Met) whose career spans 40 years. It was a joyous evening, richly performed by a capable and insightful cast and played with virtuosic skill by the Leipzig...
Having completed the score of Lohengrin in April 1848, Wagner did one of the things he was best at – getting in his own way through hubris. In May 1849, he engaged in various revolutionary activities, and by no means benign ones. Not only does Wagner lose his post in Dresden but, having assisted in violence resulting in the deaths of several of its citizens, has to flee to avoid arrest...
Stage director Patrick Bialdyga, making his debut at Oper Leipzig, has given us a spare and incisive interpretation of Lohengrin that reveals the very essence and soul of the work. In Bialdyga’s production notes, appearing in the consistently excellent Leipzig programs, the director points out two perceptions of Lohengrin as starting points. First, though seemingly “grand” in its use of settings...
The Wagner Blog is a forum for discussion of contemporary themes arising from the works of Richard Wagner. Discussions relating to Wagner’s musical, literary, theatrical, philosophical, political and theoretic work are all appropriate for this forum.