Wagner Books: Der Ring des Nibelungen in Bayreuth
Philippe Olivier: Der Ring des Nibelungen in Bayreuth von den Anfängen bis heute
Since the world premiere of Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival in 1876, there have been many important productions at the Wagner Festival. Der Ring des Nibelungen is Wagner's main work and continues to fascinate audiences all over the world.
Every production at Bayreuth is followed very closely. Philippe Olivier's book Der Ring des Nibelungen in Bayreuth von den Anfängen bis heute is a walk through all the Bayreuth productions of the tetralogy from the inauguration production in 1876 up to the Christian Thielemann/Tankred Dorst Ring running now. The book is richly illustrated with impressive large and small pictures. Many of the pictures have never been published before.
Philippe Olivier has collected important background information about the productions, and writes with insight. At the same time his text has a personal touch, making it never boring.
Olivier sees the productions as part of the time they were made, and the Bayreuth Festival not as a hermetically sealed unit. For each production he gives information about important events in the world, events making a frame for the productions. For some reason, though, he does not include the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the timeline, which in my opinion serves as an important background for understanding the Kupfer Ring.
Unfortunately the book is only available in German. I hope an English version will be made, because this is a book that every Wagner lover should get.
Publisher: Schott Music, Mainz
Published: 2007
Language: German
Size in cm: 30,4 x 24,4 x 2,8