Posted October 22, 2013

Posted October 22, 2013

This comes from Yoko Arthur, WSNC Member and Founder of the Wagner Socierty of the Santa Fe.  Sounds Fun!

The Wagner Society of Santa Fe

“THE LAST MAN STANDING – Where is Alberich?” ONLINE CONTEST

In Celebration of Richard Wagner’s Bicentenary and 2013 National Opera Week

What:  Online contest to write a sequel to Wagner’s epic Der Ring des Nibelungen

How: Do you know what happens to Alberich at the end of the Ring Cycle?  Exercise your imagination and participate in an online contest.  Write an original narrative in 100 words or fewer to continue Alberich’s story,and post your entry on the Facebook page of the Wagner Society of Santa Fe.  Also email your entry to wagnersocietyofsantafe@gmail.com.  Writers of the top three stories, judged by a panel of Wagner artists and other experts as most creative, will be recognized as the top winner, first runner-up and second runner-up.  The top winner will be awarded the Golden Apple Prize as described below.

When:  The contest will be open only during National Opera Week, Friday, October 25 – Sunday, November 3.  Please note we are on the U.S. Mountain Time.  We expect to announce the result of this contest by December 1, 2013.

Prize:  The Golden Apple Prize is a complimentary invitation for one person to sit on the stage of a Tannhäuser performance as a guest of TAFF during the 2014 Bayreuth Festival.  TAFF(Team aktiver Festspielförderer) is a new booster group actively engaged in supporting the Bayreuth Festival in close contact with the festival management.  Its web site is at http://www.taff-bayreuth.org.

This may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience a Wagner opera up very close – to be among a small number of special guests invited to sit on the Bayreuth Festival House stage during the performance of Tannhäuser.  This opera will be presented six times, July 25, August 2, 12(on-stage seating not available),18, 21, and 28, 2014, after which the production is expected to be retired.  This particular production of Tannhäuser, directed by Sebastian Baumgarten, includes on-stage seating for members of an “audience,” whose sole role is to view the performance of the opera.  TAFF has graciously agreed to make one of these “audience” seats available free of charge to “The Last Man Standing” contest winner.  Two runner-ups will be selected on the chance that the Golden Apple Prize winner is unable to attend the specific Tannhäuser performance at which the seat will be made available.  TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND ALL RELATED EXPENSES ARE THE PRIZE WINNER’S RESPONSIBILITY.

Details:  Submissions will be accepted on the Wagner Society of Santa Fe’s Facebook page during the contest period of October 25 – November 3, 2013, U.S. Mountain Time.  You must also email your submission to the Wagner Society of Santa Fe.  If you do not have a Facebook account already, you may email your submission to the Society, and we will post your entry without your email address on the Society’s Facebook page.  The following contest rules apply:

• No more than 100 words – please send your original story ending with “The End” which is not counted toward the word limit.  Mention “Alberich” at least once.
• Submissions must be in English, suitable for posting on Facebook.
• No email with attachments will be opened.  Please write your story directly in the text of your message.
• You must be at least 18 years of age to participate.  Membership in the Wagner Society of Santa Fe is not required.  To claim the Golden Apple Prize if you are the winner, you must be able to sit still for extended time, as once you take an on-stage seat, you will not be able to leave until the end of the act.
• Only one submission per participant, please.
• Submitted stories will become the property of the Wagner Society of Santa Fe.
• Top three winners (the Golden Apple Prize winner, the first runner-up, and the second runner-up) will be selected upon confirmation by the Wagner Society of Santa Fe of their identities including a proof of meeting the minimum age contest entry requirement, names, addresses for mailing, email addresses, and telephone numbers.
• The winner who claims the Golden Apple Prize agrees to have a photo of his or her attendance at the 2014 Bayreuth Festival posted on the Wagner Society of Santa Fe’s Facebook page.  As noted above, the winner is responsible for making his or her travel arrangements and paying all expenses to claim the Golden Apple Prize upon confirmation with TAFF. 

Selection Process:  A panel of Wagner artists and other experts will review the submissions which will be presented to them without attributions to participants’ identities.  The panel will vote and rank the top three winners.  If there are more than 20 submissions, a first-line panel may be formed to narrow the field.  Up to 20 top submissions will then be reviewed by the panel of experts.  After they have been individually notified by email, we expect to announce the top three winners by ranking on the Society’s Facebook page by December 1.  The panel composition is international, including such Wagnerian luminaries as soprano Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet (Brünnhilde), bass Daniel Sumegi (Hagen), opera directors Paul Curran and Stephen Wadsworth, Seattle Opera General Director Speight Jenkins, and philanthropist Edgar Foster Daniels.

Background on the Ring:  For a quick review of the Ring Cycle, try the Australia Cultural Blog of the Guardian –  http://www.theguardian.com/culture/australia-culture-blog/video/2013/sep/18/wagners-ring-cycle-2-mins-video.  This was recently published in connection with the 2013 Melbourne Ring Cycle of the Opera Australia.  The Guardian is not in any way associated with this contest.

By participating in the contest, you agree to the contest rules stated above and the following terms:

1. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.  The participants are providing information to the Wagner Society of Santa Fe and not to Facebook.
2. Award of the Golden Apple Prize is contingent upon TAFF continuing to obtain access to on-stage seats during Tannhäuser performances.  It is also contingent upon TAFF ’s final confirmation of the specific performance at which the seating opportunity will be made available to the winner.  Not all performance dates may be available for on-stage seating by the winner of this contest.
3.  The decision of the judges is final.
4. The decision of the Wagner Society of Santa Fe in choosing a winner and runner-ups is final.
5. The on-stage seating invitation offered by TAFF as the Golden Apple Prize is for the exclusive use of the winner of this contest.  The winner may not assign, barter or trade this prize to anyone else.  The Golden Apple Prize has no monetary value.
6. The Wagner Society reserves the right to terminate this contest prior to its award of this prize.
7. ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THIS CONTEST AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, RELEASE, AND HOLD HARMLESS FACEBOOK, TAFF, THE WAGNER SOCIETY OF SANTA FE, AND ALL THEIR ASSOCIATES, OFFICERS, REPRESENTATIVES (INCLUDING VOLUNTEERS), AND SELECTION JUDGES FROM ANY LIABILITY, DAMAGES, LOSSES OR INJURY RESULTING FROM THE PARTICIPANTS’ PARTICIPATION IN THIS CONTEST AND THE ACCEPTANCE, USE OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE OFFERED HEREUNDER. 

ENJOY!