Rede bei der Grundsteinlegung des Bayreuther Festspielhauses

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

Description

With his operas conceived as complete works of art based on romantic poems of mediaeval subject matters, Richard Wagner (1813-1883) is considered as one of the most important reformers of European music in the nineteenth century. On 22 May 1872, his 59th birthday, the composer, writer, theatre director and conductor held a speech on the laying of the foundation stone of the Bayreuth Festival House, which King Ludwig II had made possible for the staging of his works. In this speech, Wagner explained his plan "to found for the Germans a theatre made for them". In the festival building, "the mysterious entrance of the music is supposed to prepare you for the revelation and display of such images, which, as they seem to create themselves from an ideal dream world before you, ought to announce the entire reality of the most sensible illusion before you." Wagner hopes as well that his work would be displayed "pure and unadulterated" according to the "nature of the German spirit", which "builds from inside". To this day, the Bayreuth festivals are exclusively dedicated to the performance of Wagner's works and are held at the festival house. Datum: 2016

Author

Peter Czoik

Rights Statement Description

CC0