Neuenfels’ Lohengrin at Bayreuth – 2010 / 2011: a (P)review by Michael Miller
Lohengrin
Bayreuther Festspiele 2010
Andris Nelsons - Conductor
Hans Neuenfels - Stage Director
Reinhard von der Thannen - Set Design
Reinhard von der Thannen - Costume Design
Franck Evin - Lighting
Björn Verloh - Video
Henry Arnold - Dramaturg
Susanne Øglænd - Conceptional Collaborator
Eberhard Friedrich - Chorus Director
| 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Lohengrin - Jonas Kaufmann / Klaus Florian Vogt (22.8) / Simon O'Neill (27.8) | Lohengrin - Klaus Florian Vogt |
| Heinrich der Vogler - Georg Zeppenfeld | Heinrich der Vogler - Georg Zeppenfeld |
| Elsa von Brabant - Annette Dasch | Elsa von Brabant - Annette Dasch |
| Friedrich von Telramund - Hans-Joachim Ketelsen | Friedrich von Telramund - Tómas Tómasson |
| Ortrud - Evelyn Herlitzius | Ortrud - Petra Lang |
| Der Heerrufer des Königs - Samuel Youn | Der Heerrufer des Königs - Samuel Youn |
| 1. Edler - Stefan Heibach | 1. Edler - Stefan Heibach |
| 2. Edler - Willem Van der Heyden | 2. Edler - Willem Van der Heyden |
| 3. Edler - Rainer Zaun | 3. Edler - Rainer Zaun |
| 4. Edler - Christian Tschelebiew | 4. Edler - Christian Tschelebiew |
I was no less fascinated than any writer by the troops of rats Hans Neuenfels mustered for his production ofLohengrin, which premiered last year (2010). It isn't fair or even intelligent to focus on the most obvious twist in his Neuenfels' vision of Wagner's first grail opera, but Neuenfels turned the rodents loose on us as bait, and in the world of theater, it is only right to jump on it with all the alacrity of one of the rats, when he or she sniffs some appetizingly ripe garbage—or bacon, as Herr Neuenfels has said. And I don't mention this to demean the rats, Neuenfels clearly did not intend them as red herrings, but as an intellectually nutritious and tasty Vorspeise.

