Conductor threatens to walk out on Bayreuth

More Wagner troubles.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that Katharina Wagner is trying to terminate her half-sister Eva’s involvement before the summer’s up. They are communicating through lawyers, as Wagners do.

Meantime Kirill Petrenko, music director of Bavarian State Opera, is furious that the outspoken Canadian tenor Lance Ryan has been dropped as Siegfried. He says: ‘Only my responsibility and respect for my colleagues has stopped me walking out before the start of rehearsals…. Nur die Verantwortung und der Respekt meinen Kollegen in Bayreuth gegenüber, die ich nicht so knapp vor Beginn der Proben im Stich lassen kann, hält mich davon ab, meine Mitwirkung aufzukündigen.’

Christian Thielemann has denied through a spokesman that he had anything to do with these changes.