Extreme Long? The Ring of Wagner!
Szervezés:
Extreme Long? The Ring of Wagner!
This program will be held in Hungarian.
August 14–17, 1876 became a milestone in the history of music. In the newly completed Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which Wagner designed specifically for his own works, the curtain rose and over four days the audience could hear four monumental operas! Kings and artists, writers and fans eagerly awaited what Richard Wagner had dreamed up for the stage. The Ring cycle was presented in its entirety for the first time then — about 15–16 hours of music in total, one of the world's longest and most complex stage works. Now we take a 90-minute look at why it remains popular to this day?
Wagner's music divides even opera devotees, since works that may seem appealing in excerpts can appear almost excessive when heard straight through. Tchaikovsky felt the same, who after the four-day run said of the Ring: “wonderful, but exhausting”!
The premiere took place in an illustrious setting exactly 150 years ago: Emperor Wilhelm I, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, and Nietzsche and Franz Liszt sat among the audience. The reception was not uniformly a roaring success then; some found the works genius, others terribly long. Nowadays, however, wherever the master quartet is staged, it runs to sold-out houses! What is the reason for this? What makes the world of Wagnerian music dramas so magical? The composer himself called it a “Bühnenfestspiel”, a “stage festival play”. This afternoon we will look into the “backstage secrets” of this altogether brilliant masterpiece. The one who will highlight the curiosities is the presenter: Tápai Dóra, conductor, voice-music teacher, and music educator at the House of Hungarian Music. What to expect? A good atmosphere, interesting stories and play... a little collective activity, as usual, and Wagner's grandiose music!
Our series Hangadó Senior is especially aimed at older participants, but of course we welcome anyone who is interested. The aim of the series is to act as a club and to playfully tell a chapter of music history in an hour-long interactive journey through time.
Language: Hungarian
Rock Troubadours (US, 70s): CSNY, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, Roy Harper
