Posted June 16, 2013

Posted June 16, 2013

Bayreuth is sending the Bio-gas/Ethanol Tannhäuser to the recycling bin. After 4 presentations the universally reviled production by Sebastian Baumgarten will be retired. It is usual for productions to revived for between 5 and 8 presentations. The gap in the perfomance scheduling will be filled by the Neuenfels “Rat” Lohengrin which continues to sell out.

The Tannhäuser was likely to have been extremely expensive to produce because the Festspielhaus was open during intervals so that plays and other diversions would take place. The costs of additional actors and stage hands must have proved to be quite expensive. Cost savings realized by the costume department by having Tannhäuser appear on stage clad in boxer shorts didn’t seem to make up the short fall.

Among the loathesome features of the Baumgarten production were a pregnant Venus, giant dancing tadpoles, recycling of human waste products and Elizabeth’s murder at the hands of Wolfram.