Bayreuth Festival: Wagner’s Vision Enhanced: Parsifal in the Age of AR

Jay Scheib’s 2024 Bayreuth Festival production of Wagner’s Parsifal boldly merges tradition with augmented reality, pushing opera’s boundaries. Viewers wearing AR headsets are immersed in a fantastical world where virtual elements intertwine with live performance, transforming Wagner’s work into a multi-layered experience. While occasionally overwhelming, moments of poetic brilliance emerge. With an outstanding cast led by Andreas Schager and Ekaterina Gubanova, supported by Pablo Heras-Casado’s nuanced conducting, this Parsifal raises pivotal questions about opera’s future and technology’s role in classical performances, demonstrating the art form’s power to adapt and captivate in the digital age.

Genuinely believing in the power of performing arts

Antje Schupp undoubtfully belongs to the young and promising generation of the contemporary German music theatre stage directors. Opera Views was happy to acquire “10 Questions for…” interview with this talented young woman and gladly presents it to our readers.

The terrifying night in the museum

The terrifying night in the museum. Antonio Vivaldi´s opera “Motezuma”, a 285 years old opera-excavation at the theatre in Ulm, Germany.

Hamburg Pamina cannot fly!

Pregnant Pamina cannot fly! Soprano Julie Fuchs was suspended from the title role of Pamina from the new production of the “Magic Flute” by Hamburg State Opera house.

A laugh through tears

Oxana Arkaevas our-of-the-road recital  performance in the Podium of Theatee in Ulm By E. Pluta, March 28th, 2018 Armed with a suitcase, acting like a bum, an old woman hobbles onto the empty stage and begins with the wistful retrospect of the old Countess of Queen of Spades, remembering an aria (from Gretry) from her…

Lächeln unter Tränen

Ein gewöhnlicher Arienabend war das nicht, der „psychologisch-musikalisch-literarische Rundgang“, den die Sopranistin Oxana Arkaeva unter dem Titel Das edle Leid der noblen Frauen im Podium des Ulmer Theaters herausgebracht hat (Premiere: 17. März 2018). Losgelöst aus dem Zusammenhang der Stücke und konfrontiert mit den literarischen Texten ergeben die vorgestellten Arien oft einen ganz neuen Sinn.