“The Valkyrie” will run this week under the artistic direction of German composer Richard Wagner’s great granddaughter, and Yalla caught up with musical royalty, where else but at Emirates Palace.
What do you think is your great-grand father’s greatest legacy to the world?
“Oh, wow, that is a difficult question [laughing]. With all the great composers and writers, they are dealing with topics well known to every human, such as love, greed, or power. These topics are timeless, and I think that’s why his work is still up-to-date. These timeless topics and how he expressed them are his legacy.
Like Shakespeare’s plays, Wagner’s works are capable of very diverse interpretations. Do you think some directors/ designers have taken too many liberties with the composer’s wishes?
Well, yes, of course, and I think it’s so important that they do! We all play Wagner’s works, so it’s very important that we develop his work of Wagner. I think it’s crucial that they bring their own style to his work and develop a concept for every piece.
The Wagner family has retained a strong influence on the Bayreuth Festival. Do you expect this to continue over the coming years/decades?
Oh yes! For decades, the Wagners will run it, we hope. If I will do it for decades, we’ll see.
For the average devotee, it takes about ten years of applying for a ticket for the Festival at Bayreuth. Your visit to Abu Dhabi with the ‘Die Walkure’ company is therefore especially welcome; can you see more ‘on tour’ visits from Bayreuth being extended to other parts of the world of opera?
Our problem is that we don’t have a steady orchestra, so it’s difficult to tour. Our orchestra is composed of orchestra members from all over Germany and Europe, so we have to bring them together. It’s always good to tour, but it takes a lot of organization. It’s much easier to buy a steady orchestra and ask them to come here. We’ve been planning this Abu Dhabi tour for four years!
Who is Katharina Wagner?
Katharina Wagner is a German opera stage-director and co-director of the Bayreuth Festival. She is the daughter of Wolfgang Wagner, great-granddaughter of Richard Wagner, and great-great granddaughter of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt.
Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime festival
Fans in Germany face waits of ten years or more for tickets to this festival, but lucky Abu Dhabi opera-lovers, can get their tickets for this week’s shows on the fly. Here’s all you need to know about the festival.
The Bayreuth Festival steps out of its native Germany this Wednesday and Friday to bring one of German composer Richard Wagner’s most beloved operas to the UAE’s capital.
Abu Dhabi Classics, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), is set to host the Bayreuth Festival’s international opera debut of Richard Wagner’s The Valkyrie under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday, 30 January 2019 and Friday, 1 February 2019 at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.
The Bayreuth Festival is renowned for its outstanding performances of the 19th-Century German composer Richard Wagner’s operas, performed in a special theatre, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, designed by Wagner himself. The Bayreuth Festival’s acclaimed productions receive over 500,000 ticket requests each year with only 60,000 tickets available and a waiting list of up to 9 or 10 years. As a result, Bayreuth Festival fans can eagerly anticipate the opportunity to purchase tickets for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this spectacular production in the UAE’s capital, performed for the first time ever outside of Germany.
30 January- 1 February
Doors open at 6pm
Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.ae and all Virgin Megastores across the UAE.
