Breaking: Bayreuth signs two major conductors

Breaking: Bayreuth signs two major conductors

News

norman lebrecht

August 31, 2022

The festival, at the end of Christian Thielemann’s music directorship, has announced two well-known recruitments.

Semyon Bychkov will conduct a new Tristan in 2024.

Daniele Gati will take on Meistersinger the following year.

Katharina Wagner said: ‘The allegations against Herr Gatti have been dealt with serially and in detail, otherwise he would not have succeeded Herr Thielemann in Dresden.’

She added that Thielemann ‘has been asked’ to conduct an ‘augmented-reality’ Parsifal in 2025 and 2026.

Comments

  • Player says:

    Both Bychkov and Gatti have conducted Parsifal at Bayreuth in previous years.

    I though Parsifal was already ‘augmented reality’? What is this please?

    Glad Thielemann will be back. The recent run of Lohengrins was pretty stonking.

  • kaf says:

    An augmented reality Parsifal? I’d be happy if I just got a real Parsifal.

  • Elsie says:

    An “augmented reality” Parsifal. You had me stumped Norman until I looked up the press release from Bayreuth and it seems they are hoping to get Harrison Ford as a special guest to recreate his Indiana Jones role and so intensify the “augmented reality” atmosphere as they search for the Holy Grail. John Williams has been asked to add some appropriate reality Holy Grail music.

  • Gustavo says:

    Strange, I don’t go to see Wagner operas on an annual basis, but I’ve happened to see Gatti with Parsifal in Bayreuth and Meistersinger in Salzburg.

    Before the Amsterdam thingy.

    He’s a good Wagner conductor.

  • Claudio says:

    I really anticipate the return of maestro Gatti and happy to see his name with the top orchestras. Initially thought that he will join Munich instead of Dresden though. Hope he didn’t took the first job he was offered.

    Any insights?

  • IP says:

    I always thought it was Kathy, not reality, that needed fixing.

  • Concertgebouw79 says:

    No doubts that Bychkov Will be perfect.

  • ViennaCalling says:

    Markus Poschner did an amazing job jumping in for Tristan. Why don’t they hire him for the upcoming season(s)? What a bizarre, ungrateful, and boring hiring strategy by the Bayreuth Festival leaders.

  • Itzhak Ben Moshe says:

    Gatti is a great great conductor and is very good in Wagner

  • MMcGrath says:

    More unmitigated crap seems assured from Bayreuth as long as Frau Wagner has the say. Despite a good conductor here and there. Glad to hear that Claudia Roth has called out this abusive use of taxpayer resources. Maybe some of the Bayreuth monies should be redirected to offset the price of heating this winter.

  • William says:

    I don’t understand why there is to be a new Tristan in 2024. We have had two performances of a new and rather good production this year. Why have they decided to scrap it?

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