‘A culture of command and obedience’ at Bayreuth

‘A culture of command and obedience’ at Bayreuth

main

norman lebrecht

November 17, 2014

The quote comes from Jonathan Meese, the 2016 Parsifal director who has just been fired by the hereditary Wagner women.

They must be taken with a pinch of salt, given Meese’s own Nazified antics.

Meese

 

However, some of his comments cut close to the bone.

Meese tells Der Spiegel:

– Bayreuth has not been about art for a long time.

– It’s about self-preservation, power and the battle against declining relevance.

– The Wagner women are hypocritical and cynical.

 

“Es geht in Bayreuth schon lange nicht mehr um Kunst. Es geht um Selbsterhalt, Macht und den Kampf gegen die sinkende Relevanz”. In Bayreuth herrsche eine “Kultur von Befehl und Gehorsam”; Meese sprach auch von Einschüchterungsversuchen. Die Leitung der Festspiele sei “verlogen und zynisch”.

Comments

  • Anonymus says:

    Let’s see what Jonathan’s problems are

    – “Bayreuth has not been about art for a long time.”

    Look who is talking!

    – “It’s about self-preservation, power and the battle against declining relevance.”

    Generic statement of sour grapes, could be directed pretty much against any cultural institution with long tradition in these decadent days.

    – T”he Wagner women are hypocritical and cynical.”

    Even if so, sounds like sour grapes. Who cares about their personal shortcomings, as long as they take the right decisions.

  • Mike Schachter says:

    Dare one suggest they deserve each other?

  • Martin says:

    Maybe this guy should have done what he was asked to do. Which was likely close to this description: Do whatever you want as long as you stay within the financial budget.

  • Theodore McGuiver says:

    So, let me get this right: Talentless shock jock can’t master page one of the Director’s Handbook – how to manage his budget – and somehow it’s someone else’s fault?

    • Anonymus says:

      Yes. And these eternal Nazi lackeys in Bayreuth expose such a “culture of command and obedience” with their fascist attempts to balance their budgets. This barbarism of financial discipline is unparalleled in the western world. Do I even smell a hint of antisemitism in the Wagner daughter’s attempt at avoiding debt and paying interest? I would say a boycott is the appropriate reaction.

  • MOST READ TODAY: