Posted by Laon on July 28, 19100 at 06:06:13:

In Reply to: Wagner posted by Tina on February 22, 19100 at 04:26:50:

Wagner did build a special theatre, at Bayreuth, to stage his later operas, especially the _Ring_ cycle and _Parsifal_.

It's not so much that other theatres weren't "big" enough (some of Meyerbeer's operas, for example, used more spectacular special effects, etc, than the Wagner operas), but thsat Wagner felt that the standard of performance was too low in European theatres of the time. He wanted his works done better.

The first performance of the _Ring_ at Bayreuth in 1876 was not a complete success - there were problems with the performances, and some of the audience didn't understand what they were seeing. And it didn't break even financially. But I'd give a lot for a time machine so I could have been there, just the same. And certainly Bayreuth sparked a revolution in the quality and integrity of opera production, not just of Wagner operas but generally.

Cheers!

Laon

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