Just in: Bayreuth Festival budget is cut by $1 million
NewsThe Society for the Promotion of the Bayreuth Festival has announced it will contribute one million Euros less to the 2024 event. Its chairman Georg Freiherr von Waldenfels said there were ‘internal reasons’ for the decision. He said the reduction amounts to one-tird of the society’s annual contribution and future funding will be maintained at this lower level.
There has been no response from Katharina Wagner.
Other stakeholders are conferring.
More here.
UPDATE: In comments to the DPA, the society appeared to row back: According to dpa information, the Friends of Bayreuth told the other shareholders in a meeting of the Board of Directors to pay about one million euros less from 2024 on. The chairman of the Friends of Bayreuth and the Board of Directors, Georg Freiherr von Waldenfels, said on request that it was an internal meeting, the contents of which he does not comment. “That the Society of Friends of Bayreuth continues to be a reliable partner of the Bayreuth Festival GmbH and has fulfilled all financial obligations, which have been increasing for years, as have the other shareholders of the Festival.” The financial situation of the Friends “remains stable,” von Waldenfels said. “Any speculation about this is out of the air.”
The Fossils Strike Back.
One tird? Did you mean one turd? I’d say one million was more than a turd’s worth….
Let’s hope the festival budget is less bloated than its director.
Why would you comment on how someone looks?
Go easy on Katherina, you’ve not lived her life.
Der Niblungen Hort hütet er dort!
Anything to do with s%#t productions?
Given the crap this place produces, a budget cut might encourage some rethinking, firing, new hiring?
If “The Society for the Promotion of the Bayreuth Festival” should choose to contribute less to the Bayreuth Festival… what are they going to contribute to instead?
They would appear to have few options
They could park the money until Katharina is out and intelligent concepts and musical ambition is back at the Hügel.
$1 million or one million Euros – there is a difference…
I wonder if Bayreuth would ever do historically informed productions. Given that Hollander, Tannhauser, Lohengrin, Meistersinger, Tristan, & Parsifal are historical dramas set in a certain time period, eg 17th century, 13th century, 10th century, 16th century, etc, why not do them to fit the time period rather than rehash them in some odd time/ set design. The Ring is pre-Christian pre dark ages not mid 19th century as in the Chereau-Boulez for example. I get the impression I would be disappointed at the current shows!
Also could they commission 3 replacement steer horns which were stolen in 1945, for Hagen to summon the vassals rather than trombones? Wagner asks for them in Gotterdammerung.
Just a thought folks.