Wagner Operas Podcast
The official podcast of Wagneroperas.com, dedicated to the operas of Richard Wagner. Each episode explores Wagner's works, offering insights, analysis, and context for listeners. The show serves as an audio companion to the website, deepening appreciation of the composer's music and dramas.
Episodes
RIENZI will open the 150th Bayreuth Festival
Wagner's third opera, RIENZI will open the 2026 Bayreuth Festival which celebrates 150 years of existence. This early work has never been performed at the Festspielhaus.
Davidsen's Isolde
In early 2026 soprano Lise Davidsen will perform the role of Isolde in two cities: first in Barcelona, then New York City in March. In 2024, Ms. Davidsen tried out the role "on the road" when she sang Act II in a concert performance in Munich. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra was led by Sir Simon Rattle.
Wagner in July
In this episode we present a rarely heard piece by the composer, comisioned to celebrate the Centennial of the United States of America.
The Dutchman at Santa Fe with Francis and Julia
In this podcast my good friends Francis and Julia Creighton discuss their insights into the Santa Fe Opera The Flying Dutchman., which they saw this past summer. Francis and Julia discuss the production, as well as the incredible theater, one of the unique places in the world to hear opera.
An A.I. Summer at Bayreuth
This summer the Bayreuth Festival will present a new production of PARSIFAL that will use Augmented Reality glasses. It promises to be a landmark production in the history of Bayreuth.
The Wagner That Blooms in the Spring
In this podcast I am joined by my good friend, Francis Creighton, as we explore the custom of presenting Wagner at the MET during Spring time, which coincides with the 2023 new production of Lohengrin from the Metropolitan Opera.
A Lohengrin for the Ages
This Lohengrin is one of the great recordings of the 1930's from the Bayreuth Festival. It features Franz Völker and Maria Müller, two of the leading singers of the time, in excerpts from this opera. Many consider Völker to be the greatest Lohengrin of the 20th century.
An Afternoon Walküre at the MET
The Metropolitan Opera is currently presenting Wagner's Ring, and the return of the Robert Lapage controversial production. Last Saturday I attended a performance of Die Walküre, and the mechanical problems that plagued this staging during the first season now seem to be gone.
The Bayreuth Festival 2018
It's that time of the year, when that midsummer classic the Bayreuth Festival begins once again. I will be attending this yearly ritual, and ahead of me will be performances of The Flying Dutchman, Parsifal, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and the new production of Lohengrin, directed by the first American to mount a production at the Green Hill.
Herrmann and Wagner
In this podcast, we explore the link between the musical score of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo, written by composer Bernard Herrmann, and the music of Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. The 1959 film, whose themes center on obsession, and the links between love and death, covers similar terrain as Wagner's opera. As a result, Herrmann's music at times appears to be a loving homage as w
Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera - 2018
When Parsifal is playing in town at the Metropolitan Opera it is a not-to-be-missed event. Luckily this year, I get to see it twice. My first visit was yesterday at the Saturday matinee. I was joined by my good friends Francis and his wife Julia, as well as my friend Vlad. Francis and I went to Bayreuth last summer, so he is well-seasoned in the works of Wagner, but this was Julia and Vlad's f
A Trip to Bayreuth in 1905
A guidebook to the city of Bayreuth, written at the turn of the century, got me thinking: I wonder what a trip to Bayreuth would have been like in those days. In this video podcast we will take a trip to 1905, and listen to the glorious voices that graced the Festspielhaus during the beginning of the 20th century.
Wagner's Christmas
The Christmas season does not usually bring to mind the music of Richard Wagner, but it should, for on Christmas morning, in the year 1870, Cosima, the composer's wife, woke from her slumbers to a new composition written by her husband to celebrate her 25th of December birthday, and played at their house by her friends. The composition was the Siegfried Idyll, Wagner's very special Christmas musi
Halloween with the Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman (Der fliegende Holländer) is Richard Wagner's answer to Halloween. The story of a ghostly sea captain who is doomed to sail the seven seas for eternity is the perfect opera to enjoy during this spooky festive season.
Todesverkündigung
My favorite moment in the Ring of the Nibelung occurs in the second act of Die Walküre. Brünnhilde visits Siegmund to tell him that he will die in battle and that she will take him to Valhalla. This is the famous "Todesverkündigung," one of the most famous moments from the trilogy.
Bayreuth Summer Artists
My journey to Bayreuth this summer was filled with so many great performers by a host of very talented singing actors. Thinking about the month of August and the great performances I saw and heard, I started wondering what some of these same singers would be like in roles other than the ones I saw them in. And hence this podcast. You will hear performances by Stephen Gould, Johannes Martin Krän
A Tribute to Tannhäuser
After so many years of doing these podcasts I realized that I had never done a program dedicated exclusively to one of my favorite Wagner operas, Tannhäuser. So here is an audio show highlighting some of the great moments from this romantic opera from the composer's middle period. You will hear tenor Jonas Kaufmann, baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and conductor Christian Thielemann, among oth
The Silenced Voices of Bayreuth
Currently at the Bayreuth Festival there is an exhibit called "Silenced Voices." It is a tribute to the many singers, artists, and musicians who, during the Third Reich, were banned from the festival because they were Jewish. In this podcast I pay tribute to three of these distinguished Wagnerians: the legendary soprano Lilli Lehmann, the dashing baritone Herbert Janssen, and the great bass-bari
Vincent and Francis visit Bayreuth
During these uncertain days, when the whole world seems to be enveloped by confusion, war, and hate, Vincent and his guest Francis visit the Festspielhaus at Bayreuth and speak about their admiration for Katharina Wagner's production of Tristan und Isolde, conducted by the dynamic Bayreuth music director Christian Thielemann.
Wieland Wagner: One Hundred Years
This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Wieland Wagner, the composer's grandson, who in 1951 revolutionized the staging of his grandfather's work when he reopened the Bayreuth Festival after World War II with an astonishing production of Parsifal. His dark style became known as "New Bayreuth."
Bayreuth 2017 Opening Night
The Bayreuth Festival opened this week with a new production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Wagner's only comedy. Barrie Kosky, the director of this production has focused on the antisemitism aspect of Wagner's work. The results make for a very interesting night at the Festspielhaus.
René Pape at the Festspielhaus
It's been seven years since my last podcast. During that time many wonderful things happened including a visit to Bayreuth in 2012. Now, this summer, I am very lucky to have a chance to go back to the Green Hill. Bass-baritone René Pape will be singing the role of King Marke in Katharina Wagner's production of Tristan und Isolde. That's something to be excited about! This podcast features Mr. Pa
Bayreuth 2010: Of Rats and Men and Lohengrin
No stranger to controversy these days The Bayreuth Festival opened at the end of July with a new production of Lohengrin directed by one of the best-known Regietheater directors, Hans Neuenfels. His tongue-in-cheek take on Richard Wagner's most romantic opera involved setting it in a land overrun by rats. There was laughter at the Festspielhaus and there were loud boos as well. Ultimately, over t
Bayreuth 2007: Katharina's Meistersinger
The Bayreuth Festival opened with a much anticipated production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg directed by Katharina Wagner, daughter of Wolfgang Wagner. As the heir apparent to the family business, Katharina's new production shows that the Festival wants to continue breaking with the traditions of the past. For some her new production is bold and innovative, while others have dismissed it as i
Toscanini at Salzburg: The 1936 Meistersinger
Arturo Toscanini was the most sought-after conductor in the 1930's. He became the first Italian to conduct at Bayreuth, and would have continued performing there had the Third Reich not come to power in Germany. He left Bayreuth in protest and went to the Salzburg Festival. His complete recording of Die Meistersinger from 1937 is readily available, but the fragment that exists from a 1936 performa
Richard Wagner: Before the Operas
Richard Wagner composed his Symphony in C Major at the age of nineteen. It is clearly the work of a young man influenced by the towering figure and musical innovations of Ludwig van Beethoven. The symphony was given its premiere during the composer's youth, and then remained dormant for decades until Wagner himself resurrected it, leading the orchestra as a birthday gift for his wife Cosima. This
Adrianne Pieczonka & Ben Heppner in Concert
For many opera lovers around the world, Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka became a household word this summer after her critically praised performance as Sieglinde at this year's Bayreuth Festival. In this podcast, recorded from the Ballroom of Rideau Hall in Ottawa, you will hear two of Canada's finest singers together in concert for the first time. Superstar heldentenor Ben Heppner joins Ms.
In Memoriam: Astrid Varnay (1918-2006)
On September of this year, soprano Astrid Varnay died in Munich, Germany. She was one of the great Wagnerian sopranos of our times, and one of the artists chosen by Wieland Wagner to re-open the Bayreuth Festival in 1951. Astrid Varnay was one of the most successful sopranos of the 1950's and 60's. In the mid 1970's she came back to the stage in character roles. In this podcast you will hear her
Bayreuth Festival 2006: Götterdämmerung
This performance of Götterdämmerung brings to a close the new production of the Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival. One of the shining stars of the last evening was Hans-Peter König who, in the role of Hagen, is positively chilling in the third scene of Act II. You will also hear Christian Thielemann conducting the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra in Siegfried's Funeral Music, as well as
Bayreuth Festival 2006: Siegfried
One of the delights of the past two Bayreuth Festivals was listening to tenor Stephen Gould mesmerize audiences with his impressive performances of Tannhäuser. This summer he is making the crowds at the "Green Hill" go wild once again, this time with his volcanic interpretation of the title role in Siegfried. In this podcast you will hear him sing this role, alongside tenor Gerhard Siegel (Mime),
Bayreuth Festival 2006: Die Walküre
At this year's Bayreuth Festival, one thing is certain: the new production of the Ring is receiving standing ovations thanks to the vision of director Tankred Dorst, the incredible conducting of Christian Thielemann, who leaves no doubt that he is one of the great Wagnerians of our times, and the amazing singing of Adrianne Pieczonka as Sieglinde. In this presentation of excerpts from Die Walküre
Bayreuth Festival 2006: Das Rheingold
The highlight of this year's Bayreuth Festival is the new production of Der Ring des Nibelungen, staged by director Tankred Dorst, and conducted by Christian Thielemann. This new production of Das Rheingold, the prelude to Wagner's "Ring," premiered on July 26, 2006. In this program you will hear extended excerpts from this performance, which was broadcast live to the world on Radio Bavaria. The c
The Golden Age of Wagnerian Opera at the MET
Most critics will agree that the richest period of Wagnerian singing in The United States took place during the 1940's, and '50's at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. This podcast pays homage to the incredible talent of those historic decades, and features performances by Lauritz Melchior, Helen Traubel, Herbert Janssen, Ramón Vinay, Margaret Harshaw, Otto Edelmann and others. Their voices
Bayreuth 2006 Opening Night: A Preview
The Bayreuth Festival will open this year on July 25 with a performance of Der fliegende Holländer, Wagner's first "mature" opera. This production is a controversial modern, Freudian staging of the work that has been greeted with boos year after year since the first time that it premiered in 2003. In this podcast we will listen to excerpts from last year's production (whose cast is almost identica
The 2005 Bayreuth Tristan und Isolde
In contrast to the first "complete" recording ever made at the Bayreuth Festival in 1928, which was the subject of our two previous podcasts, we now offer excerpts from the latest Tristan und Isolde from the Festspielhaus. This modern dress production premiered on July 25, 2005, and the action of the opera takes place aboard an ocean liner. This "Ship of Fools" production, as the European press du
The 1928 Bayreuth Tristan und Isolde (Part 2)
In our second and last podcast in this series celebrating the historic recording of the 1928 Bayreuth production of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, we take a look at the Act II Love Duet and the last act of this work. Although Act III was the most heavily edited portion of this entire recording, and most of the demanding music of this complex score is not heard on this recording, it is interesting to
The 1928 Bayreuth Tristan und Isolde (Part 1)
This podcast presents excerpts from the 1928 recording of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. Technical difficulties during this period of recorded history prevented British Columbia Records from capturing the audio during an actual performance. Instead, the three acts were recorded between performances in an empty hall. Nonetheless, it is a landmark recording, even though there are extensive cuts throug
The Italian Wagnerians
For many years, Italian was a second language to Wagner's operas, as scores of Italian singers performed the composer's music in their native tongue. Based on his Italian performances, tenor Giuseppe Borgatti became the first Italian heldentenor to be invited to perform at Bayreuth. Although, after the war, most Italian opera houses presented Wagner in German, great post-war artists such as Mario
Performance Practices in PARSIFAL (Part 3)
In the conclusion of this three-part series, we look back at the work of American baritone Clarence Whitehill, who excelled in Wagnerian roles around the world, and first performed at the Bayreuth Festival in 1904. The program also features the work of some of the best Wagner conductors on the scene today. We highlight musical excerpts from Donald Runnicles at the Vienna State Opera, Valery Gergie
Performance Practices in PARSIFAL (Part 2)
The second part of the show brings us past the Bayreuth Nazi Era, and all the way up to the 1951 re-opening of the Festival after the war. This podcast features a recording from the early 1920's where the original Bayreuth Parsifal bells can be heard (they were destroyed during World War II), a recording of the Good Friday Spell conducted by Siegfried Wagner, the composer's son, and an excerpt fro
Performance Practices in PARSIFAL (Part 1)
In our premiere Podcast, we will explore the various ways in which Wagner's last opera, Parsifal, has been performed since it first saw the light of day at the Bayreuth Festival of 1882. In this program we will focus on the way that conductors have approached this musical score. It is our hope that you will enjoy the musical numbers that we have selected for you. My sincere thanks goes out to my
You Found Us! -- Welcome!
After almost two years online, Wagneroperas.com is adding a new dimension to the website: podcasting! In a few short days this site's first podcast will hit the air. We are very excited to be able to bring you a fascinating program about Wagner's last opera Parsifal and the way that conductors have approached the work since its premiere in 1882. The program will include rare highlights from Bayr
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