Breaking: Eva Wagner to quit Bayreuth
mainThe Nordbayerischer Kurier, which has inside track on the Wagner Hill, reports today that Eva Wagner-Pasquier will depart as co-director in September 2015 at the end of her contract. That will leave her half-sister Katharina is virtual sole charge – assuming the rubber-stamp board renew her contract which is presently under renegotiation. (The former Deutsche Oper Berlin chief, Heinz-Dieter Sense, is the third director, in charge of business affairs.)
Eva, 68, is well-connected and respected across the opera world. She has worked in tandem with Katharina for six years and would like to be retained in an advisory capacity (these Wagners never let go). Katharina, on the other hand, may feel she now has enough experience to run the show on her own – as her authoritarian father, Wolfgang, always intended.
Eva (r.) with Katharina (l.) and key supporter
Eva has said she will only renew her contract if a Business Director is appointed to work along side her. I assume this would be Heinz-Dieter Sense, former Business Director at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, who was recently added to the staff. It looks like a carefully planned continuity.
Not Eva, Katarina:
Katharina Wagner hatte erklärt, nur unter der Bedingung zu einer Verlängerung bereit zu sein, wenn ihr ein Kaufmann zur Seite gestellt werde.
Hmm. Think you’ve misread that one.
The newspaper said KATHARINA is only prepared to renew her contract if a business director works along side her.
“Katharina Wagner hatte erklärt, nur unter der Bedingung zu einer Verlängerung bereit zu sein, wenn ihr ein Kaufmann zur Seite gestellt werde.”
Such a typical “good news-bad news” article…
For a moment I thought “great news”, then I realised this is about Eva, not about Kathi.
Whatever happens, this will all end in tears . . .
A bit more information here: http://www.faz.net/-gs3-7mmua (in German). According to this, Eva was informed a week ago that her contract, to expire in 2015, would not be renewed.
The article says (or implies) that Eva is the victim of an unwürdigen Machtspiel (an unworthy power struggle,) perhaps also involving Thielemann as well. But it doesn’t give any details or substantiation. Perhaps more details to come? And does the discussion with Schmid suggest that the Bavarian government has become the real power broker? One thing seems fairly certain, the money management is now taken from family hands which will reduce once again the family’s control over the Festival.
Here is an article from Jan 7th which describes in great detail Toni Schmid’s involvement and the politics behind the scenes
http://www.infranken.de/ueberregional/kultur/Richard-Wagner-Katharina-Wagner-Angela-Merkel-Jonathan-Meese-Wagner-Bloggerin-zieht-ihre-bittere-Bilanz;art182,604181