Bayreuth Festival Time, now also on DG Premium –
An Embarrassment of (Virtual) Riches
In addition to the programs from earlier Bayreuth Festivals on BR Klassik and 3-sat, the Festival has also teamed up with Deutsche Gramophon to present the Castorf and Chéreau Rings, along with Kosky's
Meistersinger, Kratzer's
Tannhäus
er, Sharon's
Lohengrin and Laufenberg's
Parsifal. This is a new platform called DG Premium. Each opera costs Euros 4.90 and you can buy them in advance any time up to the performance.
You will need to register first (which is free) and then buy the tickets for each show. The site is easy to navigate and the purchase is straightforward. You have to go through the full purchase process for each opera. Each opera starts at 20.00 CET and is then available to stream for 48 hours thereafter.
The quality looks very good - both of the website and the streaming service. You will also find most of Beethoven's symphonies there, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Another treat is a
Tosca with Netrebko.
We note that this program clashes with many of the items on 3-sat and BRKlassik, so you will have some hard choices to make - but very pleasurable to have such a wealth of Bayreuth productions available.
Our thanks to Andrea Buchanan and Ako Imamura for this information. Stay tuned to the WSNY website, WSNY e-blasts, and social media for further details.