Bayreuth news: Katie gets her next-best man, then proceeds to lose the plot

Bayreuth news: Katie gets her next-best man, then proceeds to lose the plot

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norman lebrecht

October 27, 2011

Two years of dither ended today when Katharina Wagner announced Frank Castorf as director of the 2013 Wagner bicentenary Ring. Frank’s a safe pair of hands, as we said on breaking the story three months ago. He’s not as exciting as first choice, Wim Wenders, but he’ll do.

Der Berliner Intendant Frank Castorf

No sooner were the words Frank and Castorf out of her mouth than Katie announced a rap project, inviting teenagers to give their impressions of old man Wagner in teutonised Afro-Caribbean-MTV style. Brainless, pathetic, demeaning. Ad lib away with adjectives of your own.

Comments

  • A.C. Douglas says:

    “Ad lib away with adjectives of your own.”
    ———————————————–

    You mean adjectives characterizing Katharina’s grotesque “rap Wagner”, or adjectives characterizing your mindless “Frank’s a safe pair of hands”? Safe for whom? Not for Richard Wagner or the _Ring_ certainly.

    ACD

  • Robbie Ellis says:

    You say brainless, pathetic, demeaning – fair enough, even if you haven’t seen the results yet. However, it doesn’t take anything away from Wagner’s original works. They’re still there for you to enjoy, regardless of what others choose to make of them.

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