Bayreuth Festspielhaus

The Bayreuth Festspielhaus (Bayreuth Festival Theatre) is an opera house built to the north of the town of Bayreuth in Germany, dedicated to the performance of Richard Wagner's operas.

Related Topics:
Opera house - Bayreuth - Germany - Richard Wagner - Opera

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It was designed by Gottfried Semper and built under Wagner's supervision, and its construction was principally funded by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It was first opened for the premiere of the complete four-opera cycle of Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelungs), from 13 August to 17 August 1876.

Related Topics:
Gottfried Semper - King Ludwig II - Bavaria - Der Ring des Nibelungen - 13 August - 17 August - 1876

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The most famous and significant feature of the Festspielhaus is its unusual orchestra pit. It is recessed under the stage and covered by a hood, so that the orchestra is completely invisible to the audience. This feature was a central preoccupation for Wagner, since it made the audience concentrate on the drama onstage, rather than the distracting motion of the conductor and musicians. It also corrected the balance of volume between singers and orchestra.

Related Topics:
Orchestra - Conductor - Musician

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The Festspielhaus also features a double proscenium, which gives the audience the illusion that the stage is further away than it actually is. The double proscenium and the recessed orchestra pit create, in Wagner's term, a "mystic gulf" between the audience and the stage. This gives a dreamlike character to performances, and provides a physical reinforcement of the mythic content of most of Wagner's operas.

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The Festspielhaus remains the venue of the annual Bayreuth Festival, during which Wagner's operas, such as the Ring cycle and Parsifal, are given on a repertory basis. The festival draws thousands of Wagner fans to Bayreuth every summer. It is very difficult to get tickets, because demand greatly exceeds supply; the waiting time is between five and ten years.

Related Topics:
Bayreuth Festival - Parsifal

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A new production of the Ring is presented every five to seven years, following a year in which no Ring is presented. In years in which there is a Ring, three other operas are presented. When no Ring is presented, five other operas are presented. The next production of the Ring will premiere in 2006.

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