Bayreuth teams up with Murdoch to screen Ring
mainIt has been announced today that this summer’s Ring will be screened by Sky Arts HD in Germany, Austria, the UK, Ireland and Italy.
The transmission will be over the July 30-31 weekend in the UK and Ireland.
Stephen Fry will present.
No chance of Rupert appearing as Alberich.
Katie Wagner says: ‘I look forward to the cooperation with Sky and really appreciate its commitment. With this, many people can enjoy the performances and I believe it’s in the spirit of Richard Wagner to reach as many arts fans as possible. This is a large and prestigious project, realised with state-of-the-art technology.’
I believe by “Katie” Wagner you mean Katharina Wagner.
Quite right. Does anyone called her Katie? Even Chris Thielemann?!
Is it meant to belittle her in some deeply obscure way?
I think I am fairly sure of my ground when I say that it is not because ‘Norm’ is on such terms of intimacy as to be invited to take tea at Wahnfried.
Chris?
Come on, think about it…
“For Kate’s her name: plain Kate, bonny Kate or Kate the cursed” (Taming of the Shrew).
In German-speaking circles, she’s indeed quite often referred to “Kathi” (KAH-tee) – in the 2008 “Baptism of Fire” documentary about her and her Bayreuth “Meistersinger” debut, during rehearsals someone even painted “Kathi” in big white letters on the giant hand that falls over onto the floor at one point in (I think) Act 2 Scene 5 (… giant hand that falls over onto the floor?? – it’s complicated… best check out the documentary!). Anyway, just the usual diminutive form of endearment or whatever, just a bit of fun – it doesn’t really have to be belittling in any way, I think, but no, it doesn’t necessarily imply nice invitations to tea at Wahnfried either! 🙂
OK now seriously, Voldemort is going to broadcast this year’s Bayreuth Ring with Stephen Fry introducing… On Sky. If we needed anything more to tell us the world is going bonkers (after the Trump nomination) you could not go past this. Or it could be great art, take your pick.
Stephen Fry did a doco called Wagner and Me, which was pretty good. He brings his own large fan base, which might extend beyond the regular opera crowd. It’s a clever choice.
Yes, on the whole that was a very enjoyable documentary, I thought – well, I’ve got a soft spot for it, at least, have watched it a number of times. And as the documentary also made abundantly clear, Stephen Fry himself (also aka “Master of Laketown”!) is a very dedicated Wagnerian indeed, so he’d be an appropriate and appealing host, for sure. (… About that current Bayreuth “Ring”, though – hmmm… well, best keep an open mind about that one!!)
I thought that documentary was called ‘Me and Wagner’.
LOL. Not to be confused with Thielemann’s “My Life with Wagner”.
I’m so bored with Stephen Fry. Is he ever going to do ANYTHING really original?
The Bayreuth website suggests all 4 will be broadcast “live” on the day of the performance with 1-hour tape delay except for Das Rheingold. Recordings of the first three parts will be be shown during the 30/31 July weekend ending with GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG “live” on 31st albeit with the tape delay. The tape delay may get caught up à la Glyndebourne “live” transmissions by the start of Act III, as it may be done not for fear of glitches but the problem of filling in the two one-hour intervals. Would be nice if Sky would clarify this!