Our March guest is Desiree Mays and she will present an objective look at the Wagner family since Wagner's death in 1883, 136 years ago.  Mays will draw from original first-hand sources where possible and attendees will be provided with a Wagner Family tree handout. Desirée is a globetrotter for opera; she lectures both live… Continue reading The Wagner Dynasty and Changing Philosophies at Bayreuth – EVENT CANCELED

Saturday April 4, the Wagner Society welcomes Jonathan Khuner for a presentation to acquaint us with Wagner's rarely performed opera Das LIebesverbot (No Love Allowed) based on William Shakespeare's play Measure for Measure. This program is timed to coincide with Pocket Opera's presentation of "No Love Allowed" in there 2020 opera season. Pocket's driving force… Continue reading Das Liebesverbot (No Love Allowed) – EVENT CANCELED

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/64u2Hi05EQ8 In 1839, Wagner's fled Riga on the Thetis, a smuggler's ship. Richard and Minna dreamed of getting to Paris. Riga's farewell to them was an enormous sea storm. It was this storm that the composer commemorated later in the famous overture to the… Continue reading Der fliegende Holländer and Wagner’s Flight from Riga with Scott Foglesong

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/P7BGST67Gqo "Art is what matters here" Die Meistersinger Following her husband's death in 1883, Cosima Wagner ruled over the Bayreuth Festival with an iron will for 20 plus years. She was succeeded by her son, Siegfried, who maintained the family tradition until his death… Continue reading The Wagner Dynasty & Changing Philosophies at Bayreuth

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/2I-qmfv7SKc What can we, as Wagnerians, learn from current events and what can our world and era learn from our experience as Wagnerians? This is a time of political stress in that long-held assumptions are being reexamined. Language is reflecting this. We who struggle (or… Continue reading Wagner in a Time of Political Stress – With William Berger

WEBINAR POSTPONED - "Anniversary Thoughts: Wagner's 'Beethoven' Essay of 1870." The Wagner Society of Northern California will welcomes Professor Katherine Syer to our webinar series at a later date. In her presentation Professor Syer will discuss Wagner's evolving response to Beethoven up until that stage, and the ways the essay is not ultimately so much… Continue reading POSTPONED! Anniversary Thoughts: Wagner’s ‘Beethoven’ Essay of 1870

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/q8o9a8fuG4Y The WSNC Webinar Series continues with an interview with Maestro Nicholas Braithwaite. London-born Maestro Nicholas Braithwaite who is interviewed by WSNC President Terri Stuart. Based in Adelaide Australia, Nicholas Braithwaite is a well known opera and symphony conductor throughout the UK, Europe and… Continue reading Interview with Maestro Nicholas Braithwaite

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/estXmYaEZpk The Wagner Society webinar series continues as the Society welcomes back Maestro Jonathan Khuner. Maestro Khuner will talk about Wagner's early opera Das Liebesverbot which Pocket Opera plans to perform as "No Love Allowed" in an English translation. The performances have been postponed… Continue reading Das Liebesverbot (No Love Allowed) with Jonathan Khuner

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/m41F2OvlLyY The WSNC Webinar Series continues with Simon Williams presenting his talk "Wagner from the Middle Ages to Modernity". In this talk Professor Williams discusses similarities and differences between Wagner's use of the medieval landscape in Lohengrin and Tristan und Isolde. Williams will discuss how in Lohengrin Wagner provides us… Continue reading Wagner From Middle Ages to Modernity with Simon Williams

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/rn6IX6F2fj0 We are ending the year in traditional Wagner Society fashion under anything but typical circumstances. We are unable to don our holiday finery, gather together, sip champagne, dine and enjoy a concert in person at our much beloved Marine's Memorial Club and Hotel.… Continue reading WSNC—Cosima Liszt Zoom Virtual Birthday Gala

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/3W5UUUA3vYk Noted New Yorker Music Columnist Alex Ross discusses his monumental book "Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music" with San Francisco Chronicle Music Critic Joshua Kosman. Described by Bookshop.org : "In "Wagnerism", Alex Ross restores the magnificent confusion of what it… Continue reading Wagnerism – A Conversation with Alex Ross and Joshua Kosman

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/NCSTg74pJ3E In recognition of the 250th Anniversary of Beethoven's birth, The Wagner Society of Northern California welcomes Professor Katherine Syer to our webinar series. In her presentation Professor Syer discusses Wagner's evolving response to Beethoven up that point in his life and the ways… Continue reading Anniversary Thoughts: Wagner’s ‘Beethoven’ Essay of 1870 with Katherine Syer