At last, a pilgrimage to Bayreuth: Parsifal and Lohengrin, part 1
After intending to do so for 30 years, I have finally climbed the musical mountain and experienced the Bayreuth Wagner Festival in Bavaria. This is sort of a shrine to operaphiles (and to some unrepentant Nazis) since Richard Wagner built the theater to his specifications in 1876 and it remains nearly unchanged. Only the operas of Wagner are performed here, and only for two months each summer. Why did it take me this long to attend? Well, like many religious rituals, there is no quick payoff. To attend, one needs to apply in writing (no internet, fax) yearly. After an average of 10 years waiting, your lottery number comes up. If you forget to reapply, your name goes to the back of the line. These wonderful Germans! After participating twice in in this masochistic rite, the most recent being 8 consecutive yearly applications, my religious rite was interrupted by a move to Florida which prevented receipt of the annual application. I used my higher salary and advancing years to ...