Bayreuth Festival

The annual Bayreuth Festival in Bayreuth, Germany attracts visitors from all over the world. Richard Wagner's work are performed in the Festspielhaus, which was especially built for this purpose.

Related Topics:
Bayreuth - Germany - Richard Wagner - Festspielhaus

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Wagner himself masterminded the idea of the Bayreuth Festival, the first annual music festiva which occurs in August, and the predecessor to modern music festivals such as Lollapalooza and Boneroo. The driving force behind the composer's vision for the Festival was the ability to perform his operas in a perfectly ideal situation, according to Wagner's own standards. To reach this end he chose the site at Bayreuth for its beauty, and for its location away from the distractions and hassles of large cities.

Related Topics:
Lollapalooza - Opera

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Wagner personally supervised the design and construction of his theater, the Festspielhaus, which indeed contained many innovations on theaters of the day. These innovations were conceived by Wagner and his designers to serve specific roles in Wagner's own works, most notably the Ring Cycle and Parsifal.

Related Topics:
Festspielhaus - Ring Cycle - Parsifal

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The Bayreuth Festival when it opened in 1876 was a socio-cultural phenomenon. The festival was plagued by money problems in its early years, and owes its survival to most generous support from King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The town of Bayreuth sustained heavy bomb damage during World War II, though the theatre itself was undamaged. Since the Festival reopened in 1951, it has become the leading venue for the performance of Wagner's operas.

Related Topics:
1876 - King Ludwig II - Bavaria - 1951

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The director is currently Wagner's own grandson, Wolfgang Wagner, who is largely credited with expand the Festival's worldwide reputation. Tickets have sold out year after year. There is currently an extensive waiting list for tickets to the Festival, which for certain more popular productions (The Ring Cycle, for example) can extend to a decade! Even unparticular patrons must wait five years or more for available tickets.

Related Topics:
Wolfgang Wagner - Ring Cycle

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