Talk about a less than stellar way to annouce big news. It's been revealed via a publically viewed parking spot that Christian Thielemann has been appointed music director of the Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Germany.
It was made official on Monday, with Norman Lebrecht claiming, "Until now, apparently, the parking spots were just marked with 'Dirigenten' and 'Festspielleitung'. Now, it has been personalised and dignified with a title."
His formal duties with the festival will be announced when the gala opens, with Katharina Wagner's new production of Tristan und Isolde on July 25. An interesting way to unveil the new head, indeed, a Bayreuth spokesman confirmed the rumors per The Guardian.
Thielemann has already held the position as the festival music advisor in the past, but the new position is apparently "unprecedented" at Bayreuth. Before him, however, the Wagner-in-chief of the festival was de facto music director, having a presiding authority over everything on the Green Hill.
However, as the article continues:
"Even before [Thielemann] conducts a downbeat, Thielemann has already been involved in controversy this year - what the with the stushie over whether or not Eva Wagner-Pasquier was allowed to set foot on the grounds of Bayreuth, over a dispute with her stepsister Katharina - who is an ally of Thielemann's. Was this the appointment they disagreed about and that led to Eva's departure?"
Thielemann also was the subject of controversy over the Berlin Philharmonic's newly appointed chief, Kirill Petrenko. A German radio station went insofar as to make anti-Semitic remarks regarding Petrenko's new position, citing that Thielemann was better suited with the musical needs of German classical.
Regardless, Thielemann's new rank is certainly one well-deserved.
Congratulations, of course, and be sure to keep up with the conductor below, or make your way to the festival coming at the end of July.
© 2024 Classicalite All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
