Bayreuth Festival premieres Wagner's early opera Rienzi for first time
The Bayreuth Festival, marking its 150th anniversary, is presenting Richard Wagner's early opera 'Rienzi' for the first time this summer. The work has a particularly checkered reception history, having been Adolf Hitler's favorite opera while also being dismissed by critics as a hopeless 'screamer'. This premiere represents a turning point for the festival, which has traditionally focused on Wagner's later, more canonical works.
Key facts
- Bayreuth Festival celebrates 150 years
- First performance of Wagner's 'Rienzi' at the festival
- Rienzi was Hitler's favorite opera
- The work has been called a 'hopeless screamer'
- Premiere occurs in summer 2025
- Rienzi is an early work by Richard Wagner
- The festival is known for staging Wagner's later operas
- The premiere marks a turning point for the festival
Entities
Artists
- Richard Wagner
- Andreas Schager
- Nathalie Stutzmann
Institutions
- Bayreuth Festival
- Bayreuther Festspiele
Locations
- Bayreuth
- Germany