150 Jahre Bayreuther Festspiele: Ein „Seismograph deutscher Befindlichkeit“? Rezeption und Interpretation

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Subject according curriculum

Musicology

Teachers

Peter Krause

Scope

Wednesdays, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Room

BP 201

Duration

2 Semesterwochenstunden

Description

Just as Richard Wagner himself polarizes and provokes, so too does the Bayreuth Festival—there is hardly any middle ground between adoration and rejection. Even the scholarly debate, reflected in the sheer volume of secondary literature, thrives on polarization. Nuance and balanced consideration seem to be out of the question when it comes to Wagner. However, the substantial volume *Bayreuth als Theater*, published to mark the “150 Years of Bayreuth” anniversary, dares to do just that. In his multi-perspective book, Stephan Mösch examines Bayreuth so comprehensively and with such complexity—appropriate to the subject—that he has presented nothing less than “the” contemporary history of the festival. In this seminar, too, ambiguities and ambivalences will now come to light, where conventional Wagner scholarship all too often merely parrots preconceived notions. Artistic vision and worldview, aesthetics and politics intertwine; Wagner’s work and the history of its staging and reception are intended to become vividly tangible. A central focus will be on the magnum opus *Der Ring des Nibelungen*: Building on an understanding of the work, we will examine its musical and scenic interpretation through the lens of (German) history. Udo Bermbach’s dictum describing the festival as a “seismograph of the German psyche” could serve as our guide.
The semester begins with introductory presentations by the seminar instructor, after which the focus shifts to the students’ presentations, which are intended to spark a lively discussion. Please register to participate by October 13 via email at: peter.krause@hfmt-hamburg.de

Literature

BAYREUTH AS THEATER: Toward a History of the Festival
Stephan Mösch
Bärenreiter / Metzler, 674 pages

The Delusion of the Gesamtkunstwerk: Richard Wagner’s Political and Aesthetic Utopia
Udo Bermbach
J.B. Metzler, 396 pages

Credits

3 Creditpoints

Comments

A basic knowledge of the tetralogy *The Ring of the Nibelung* is a definite advantage.

Modules

Musikwissenschaftliche Seminare Gesang, Hauptfach-Ergaenzungsmodul 1 Dirigieren, Hauptfach-Ergaenzungsmodul 2 Master Dirigieren, Ergänzungsmodul Liedgestaltung Master, Musiktheoretisch-/wissenschaftliches Modul 2, Musiktheoretisches/Musikwissenschaftliches Wahlmodul Instrumental, Musiktheoretisches/Musikwissenschaftliches Modul, Musikwisenschaft I Lehramt, Musikwissenschaftliches Modul 1 EMP, Musikwissenschaftliches Modul 1, Musikwissenschaftliches Modul 1, Musikwissenschaftliches Modul 2 Internationaler Master, Musikwissenschaftliches Modul 2 Komposition/Musiktheorie, Musikwissenschaftliches Modul 3, Musiktheoretisch/-wissenschaftliches Modul Master, Wahlmodul freie Wahl (alle Studiengänge)