Bayreuth Backstage - Enrico Nawrath presents behind the scene photos from the Bayreuth Festival
Bayreuth Festival official photographer Enrico Nawrath has published a book with photographs from the Bayreuth Festival, "Bayreuth Backstage", published by Schott Music. The photos take us backstage to show us what goes on when preparations are made for the Festival and its productions.
The world on stage is a distant, magical world for us spectators. Here the drama unfolds: betrayal, love, death, redemption, longing and suffering.
For me, the world behind the stage - the everyday world of the stage workers, technicians, hair dressers, wigmakers, lightning workers, make-up artists etc. is just as mysterious. Together these people create all the details we in the auditorium take for granted. We often forget the enormous amount of work behind a production.
Enrico Nawrath takes us backstage to this hidden world of preparations and rehearsals. The high quality photographs are well selected and gives a great impression of what goes on backstage at Bayreuth.
Katharina Wagner has written a foreword.
Bayreuth Backstage - for your eyes only
In co-operation with Bayreuth Festival photographer Enrico Nawrath, Wagneropera.net presents a selection of photographs from Nawrath's book "Bayreuth Backstage". The photos have been displayed at an exhibition at Künstlerhaus Spiekeroog. The book, published by Schott Music, gives a unique view of the Bayreuth Festival behind the scenes.
Bühnen-Eingang: The fire protection door to the stage.
Hier bin ich! Wer ruft? ID cards for the Festival photographer Enrico Nawrath and Festival leader and director Katharina Wagner.
Hier wird nach den Regeln nur eingelassen: The Holy Grail of the ticket buyers. Ticket application only by snail mail. In this archive the tickets are stored. One day its your turn, normally after 8-12 years - provided you keep on applying for tickets every year.
Wach auf: Pause during rehearsals for Katharina Wagner's production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Den heil'gen Speer - ich bring' ihn euch zurück! The prompter and Parsifal as a boy. The prompter Ute Gherasim is also responsible for some of the props being used in Stefan Herheim's production.
Er war uns hold; was ist er nun dir? The Swan that Parsifal killed. The feathers are real feathers.
Was tat dir das Weib? Es sagte wahr; denn nie lügt Kundry, doch sah sie viel. Kwangchul Youn (Gurnemanz) and Mihoko Fujimura (Kundry) in front of the prompter's box. Timothy Oliver (4. Knappe) to the left. Rehearsals for Stefan Herheim's Parsifal production.
Im Grabe leb ich durch des Heilands Huld: The mysterious orchestra pit at Bayreuth. Conductor Sebastian Weigle preparing for Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Before Stefan Herheim's Parsifal production the orchestra pit was completely invisible to the audience. In this production a gigantic mirror was lowered slowly from the roof so that the conductor and the orchestra could be seen.
Heilig ist mein Herd; heilig sei dir mein Haus: The auditorium seen from the "Königsloge" during a light rehearsal for Die Walküre, Act 1 (director: Tankred Dorst).
The reversed view: The auditorium seen from the stage during a light rehearsal for Die Walküre, Act 1 (director: Tankred Dorst).
Buy the book here
All photographs published with permission. Copyright: Enrico Nawrath. Thanks to Enrico Nawrath and Katharina Wagner.
Enrico Nawrath and Bayreuther Festspiele
Visit Enrico Nawrath's Homepage
Bayreuther Festspiele Homepage
Related links
- Stefan Herheim's production of Parsifal 2008
- Katharina Wagner's production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg on DVD
- Bayreuth Festival on Wagneropera.net
- Bayreuth Backstage - an exhibition at Künstlerhaus Spiekeroog