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Richard Wagner

The opera composer who lived from 1813 until 1883 created a new form of music drama — and a festival that has taken place in the Bavarian city of Bayreuth since 1876.

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A woman in a wedding dress with a long train stands on a stage with a man in a dark suit kneeling at the end of her train.

A woman in a wedding dress with a long train stands on a stage with a man in a dark suit kneeling at the end of her train.

Bayreuth Festival: Of love and betrayal

Richard Wagner's monument to lovers, "Tristan and Isolde," got a darker interpretation at this year's Bayreuth Festival.

A drawing shows Richard Wagner sitting a piano with his hand on some scores.

A drawing shows Richard Wagner sitting a piano with his hand on some scores.

German composer Richard Wagner: The man behind the myth

Once described as "a sniveling gnome with exceptional talent," Wagner still managed to create a mythic idea of himself.

Tarmo Peltokoski wears a black T-shirt and waves a conductor's baton

Tarmo Peltokoski wears a black T-shirt and waves a conductor's baton

Star conductor Tarmo Peltokoski takes on Wagner

At just 23, Tarmo Peltokoski has found success conducting the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra.

Castle Neuschwanstein surrounded by lakes and mountains

Castle Neuschwanstein surrounded by lakes and mountains

Ludwig II: Bavaria's 'fairy-tale king' and his dream castle

August 25 marks the 178th birthday of Bavarian King Ludwig II. He's most famous for his Neuschwanstein Castle.

Bayreuth Festival 2023

Bayreuth Festival 2023

Bayreuth Festival 2023: Augmented reality meets tradition

The new Bayreuth "Parsifal" is an attempt to combine real stage action with augmented reality.

Women standing and lying, wearing mostly pink costumes, onstage during a production of 'Parsifal' in Bayreuth.

Women standing and lying, wearing mostly pink costumes, onstage during a production of 'Parsifal' in Bayreuth.

Bayreuth Festival opens new worlds

Climate catastrophe, war and new augmented reality technology distinguish Richard Wagner's "Parsifal" in Bayreuth.

An augmented reality picture that features among others a girl with a ponytail holding her arms up, stylized trees and an outline of a human heart.

An augmented reality picture that features among others a girl with a ponytail holding her arms up, stylized trees and an outline of a human heart.

Bayreuth Festival: Richard Wagner's work gets 3D effect

US director Jay Scheib harnesses virtual technology to present Wagner's operas this year.

Hitler in uniform between Winfred and Wieland Wagner

Hitler in uniform between Winfred and Wieland Wagner

Hitler's cultural accomplices: Wagner, Speer and Bechstein

Cultural figures like Richard Wagner's family paved the way for Hitler long before he came to power in 1933.

DW Arts.21 (Sendungslogo Kultur.21 englisch)

DW Arts.21 (Sendungslogo Kultur.21 englisch)

Why Hitler adored Richard Wagner

Ominous veneration: Why Hitler found the soundtrack to his megalomania in Wagner’s music.

Angela Merkel and her husband Joachim Sauer at the 2022 Bayreuth Festival

Angela Merkel and her husband Joachim Sauer at the 2022 Bayreuth Festival

Germany's Angela Merkel to appear on murder podcast

The Christmas special show examines questions of crime that spring from composer Richard Wagner's most famous work.

View of the hall at the Opera Garnier in the Palais Garnier

View of the hall at the Opera Garnier in the Palais Garnier

Do we still need opera?

Operas tell stories in a way that is not always accessible. They also often come off as elitist. Has opera had its day?

Florian Vogt, man on stage in armor of sorts

Florian Vogt, man on stage in armor of sorts

Wagner Festival wrestles with word 'Führer'

Opinions clashed at the Bayreuth Festival over the word "Führer," even in a context that had nothing to do with Hitler-

Bayreuther Festspiele 2021

Bayreuther Festspiele 2021

Wagner for all in Bayreuth

This year, people can enjoy Richard Wagner's music at free outdoor concerts in Bayreuth.

Scene from the opera "Tristan and Isolde" at the Bayreuth Festival 2022

Scene from the opera "Tristan and Isolde" at the Bayreuth Festival 2022

Bayreuth Festival: Opera offers an escape

The opera "Tristan und Isolde" kicked off the festival, offering brief reprieve from news of war and extreme heatwaves.

Bayreuth director Katharina Wagner

Bayreuth director Katharina Wagner

Bayreuth: Sexual assault claims to be investigated

Several female employees at the music festival were allegedly groped, including festival director Katharina Wagner.

Portrait von Wilhelm Richard Wagner, 1813 - 1883

Portrait von Wilhelm Richard Wagner, 1813 - 1883

How Wagner promoted the 'German feeling'

Alienation and belonging, eros and disgust: Composer Richard Wagner embraced the four feelings and made them "German."

DW Arts.21 (Sendungslogo Kultur.21 englisch)

DW Arts.21 (Sendungslogo Kultur.21 englisch)

A first: Oksana Lyniv conducts Wagner

A portrait of Oksana Lyniv, the first woman to head the orchestra at the Bayreuth Festival.

Marina Prudenskaya (left) as Mary, Eric Cutler (center) as Erik and Asmik Grigorian (right, in yellow) as Senta

Marina Prudenskaya (left) as Mary, Eric Cutler (center) as Erik and Asmik Grigorian (right, in yellow) as Senta

A new twist to Wagner's opera

Russia director Dmitri Tcherniakov's version of the famous opera has an unexpected surprise ending.

Kent Nagano, man conducting

Kent Nagano, man conducting

Star conductor Kent Nagano at 70

As he turns 70, the maestro discusses how Frank Zappa, Pierre Boulez and Leonard Bernstein were influential in his life.

Richard Wagner's face in a close-up of a statue in Bayreuth

Richard Wagner's face in a close-up of a statue in Bayreuth

7 facts about Richard Wagner

The mastermind behind the Bayreuth Festival was not as masterful in his personal affairs.

A combo photo showing Katharina Wagner, Oksana Lyniv, Angela Merkel and Jeakterina Gubanova

A combo photo showing Katharina Wagner, Oksana Lyniv, Angela Merkel and Jeakterina Gubanova

Strong women take center stage at Bayreuth 2021

This year's Richard Wagner bash is getting a whole new shine — largely thanks to the women in command.

Bayreuther Festspiele 2021 I Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Bayreuther Festspiele 2021 I Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

The Wagner festival: Why it is mythical

The composer himself contributed to building the myth surrounding his opera festival.

Portrait Richard Wagner

Portrait Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner and the Jews

The composer wrote antisemitic essays, but some Jewish artists played a special role in his life.

A woman dressed in a hig-necked black top, holds a conductor's baton in her right hand

A woman dressed in a hig-necked black top, holds a conductor's baton in her right hand

Women lead at the Bayreuth Festival

Singer Asmik Grigorian and conductor Oksana Lyniv electrified the audience in the staging of "The Flying Dutchman."

Close-up picture of Katharina Wagner

Close-up picture of Katharina Wagner

Wagner festival director reveals plans for 2021

Tickets for the Wagner festival Bayreuth are on sale. What can the audience expects after last year's cancellation?

Oksana Lyniv

Oksana Lyniv

Oksana Lyniv, Bayreuth's first female conductor

The Ukrainian conductor, the first woman to head the orchestra at the Richard Wagner festival, discusses her work.

Richard Wagner opera house in Bayreuth, pink building with flower beds in the park in front of it

Richard Wagner opera house in Bayreuth, pink building with flower beds in the park in front of it

What to expect at the 2021 Bayreuth Festival

Expectations are high for Richard Wagner's famed festival, but the pandemic continues to cause uncertainty.

Two men on a stage, bent over, one grabs a stack of chairs

Two men on a stage, bent over, one grabs a stack of chairs

Deutsche Oper Berlin in line for a Grammy

Berlin's largest music theater is nominated for a much-coveted Grammy in the "Best Opera Recording" category.

Bildkombo Oksana Lyniv und Dmitri Tcherniakov

Bildkombo Oksana Lyniv und Dmitri Tcherniakov

The Bayreuth Festival to have first female conductor

Richard Wagner's festival announces a star-studded performance in 2021. Conductor Oksana Lyniv will take the podium.

painting of a young man thrusting a sword into the body of a huge snakelike creature Jung-Siegfried / M.Koch

painting of a young man thrusting a sword into the body of a huge snakelike creature Jung-Siegfried / M.Koch

Who are the Nibelungs?

With the Bayreuth Festival called off, it's time to take a look at the myth behind the Nibelung Ring.

Bayreuth - Das Richard-Wagner-Festspielhaus

Bayreuth - Das Richard-Wagner-Festspielhaus

Three decades at the Bayreuth festival

With this year's Wagner Festival in Bayreuth called off, DW's Rick Fulker has found the time to pull up memories.

Katharina Wagner

Katharina Wagner

Bayreuth Festival without Katharina Wagner

The festival director's absence due to health issues could have serious implications for the Wagner Festival.

Bayreuth Festspielhaus Oper Konzerthaus

Bayreuth Festspielhaus Oper Konzerthaus

Wagner music festival canceled

Another pillar of Germany's culture has been canceled because of the coronavirus crisis: the Bayreuth Festival.

A clown and a blond woman in a black drerss drive in an old car

A clown and a blond woman in a black drerss drive in an old car

Bayreuth 2019: A very good year

A colorful season at the Bayreuth Festival.

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Germany: The Bayreuth Festival opens with Richard Wagner's "Tannhäuser."

Germany's famous Bayreuth Festival opens with a brand new production of the opera Tannhäuser. The story of a failed minstrel caught between the hedonistic Venus and the pure Princess Elizabeth, it's seen as an allegory of the classic romantic conflict between spiritual and carnal love. But this production aims to prove that it's much more than that.

Theaterregisseur Tobias Kratzer

Theaterregisseur Tobias Kratzer

Going beyond the love-sex dilemma

The Bayreuth Festival opens with Wagner's Tannhäuser. Director Tobias Kratzer told DW how his staging renews the play.

Deutschland | Wolfgang Wagner | Bayreuther Festspiele

Deutschland | Wolfgang Wagner | Bayreuther Festspiele

Honoring Wolfgang Wagner's legacy in Bayreuth

Richard Wagner's grandson is being honored in the year marking the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Bayreuth Festspielhaus

Bayreuth Festspielhaus

What to expect at the Bayreuth Festival

In 2020, the "Ring" will be produced by a young team, while this year's staging of "Tannhäuser" will be opulent.

Deutschland 102. Bayreuther Festspiele - Eröffnung

Deutschland 102. Bayreuther Festspiele - Eröffnung

The fascinating Bayreuth Festival

Every summer, Wagner fans from all over the world flock to Bayreuth. Why?

Deutschland Bayreuth 2018 | Totale

Deutschland Bayreuth 2018 | Totale

The Bayreuth Festival wraps up another season

A Lohengrin of vivid imagery and a booed-out premiere by Placido Domingo were the highlights of the year. What's ahead?

Bayreuter Festspielen 2018, Lohengrin

Bayreuter Festspielen 2018, Lohengrin

A chat with Piotr Beczala

The Polish tenor's Bayreuth premiere as Lohengrin was warmly received. Then he sat down to talk with DW.

Bayreuther Festspiele 2018 | Lohengrin

Bayreuther Festspiele 2018 | Lohengrin

'Lohengrin' at the Bayreuth Festival

The Wagner Festival opens the season with a production dominated by powerful images and strong voices.

Deutschland, Bayreuth: Postkarten bei den Richard-Wagner-Festspielen

Deutschland, Bayreuth: Postkarten bei den Richard-Wagner-Festspielen

Bayreuth Festival: The 2018 Wagner celebration begins

Visitors can look forward to a new production of Wagner's "Lohengrin" — including the stage set by Neo Rauch.

Regisseur - Yuval Sharon Regisseur Lohengrin

Regisseur - Yuval Sharon Regisseur Lohengrin

A chat with Bayreuth stage director Yuval Sharon

The American is staging Richard Wagner's opera "Lohengrin" at the opening of the Bayreuth Festival.

Nürnberg - Austellung "HITLER.MACHT.OPER" Reichsparteitag als Bühne: Adolf Hitler im Lichtdom, 1936.

Nürnberg - Austellung "HITLER.MACHT.OPER" Reichsparteitag als Bühne: Adolf Hitler im Lichtdom, 1936.

Hitler and the opera: Epic works to showcase power

An exhibition looks at how the Nazis used opera as a tool of propaganda, especially during the Nuremberg Rallies.

Handwritten letters and photographs on display at the Villa Wahnfried Richard Wagner Museum in Bayareuth

Handwritten letters and photographs on display at the Villa Wahnfried Richard Wagner Museum in Bayareuth

Bayreuth digitizes Wagner archive

Digitization of the Wagner National Archive will make it easier to view documents.

Richard Wagner's anti-Semitic letter

Richard Wagner's anti-Semitic letter

Anti-Semitic Wagner letter auctioned in Israel

The seller: "Wagner would roll over in his grave" if he knew a bearded Jew in Jerusalem would profit from his letter.

DW Vorschaubild Shift - Games als Kunst

DW Vorschaubild Shift - Games als Kunst

Games: Art or time wasters?

Games have been described as total works of art in the vein of German composer Richard Wagner.

Valery Gergiev

Valery Gergiev

Beethovenfest opening with Mariinsky Theater Orchestra

This concert reflects the festival's motto, "Distant Loved One."

Festspielhaus Bayreuth

Festspielhaus Bayreuth

Why the 2018 Bayreuth Festival could one-up 2017

After a scandal-free year, the Bayreuth Festival could get juicier in 2018 with Plácido Domingo waving the baton.