Lohengrin, our last Opera in Bayreuth

We arrived at Lohengrin an hour early as usual. As well as having left time to relax before the show we had to visit the Steigenberger Restaurant next to the Festspielhaus as we had a reservation there for a dinner to be taken in stages during the two intermissions. We had booked a table outdoors but on arriving found that due to a possibility of rain they were not serving outdoors. We were asked to come in and meet our waitress so that she could take our orders which would be served once we arrived from the theater during intermission. There was a table with our name on it and also the name of an English couple.

Ciaran was not here tonight as he was ticket-less and would meet us later at Weihenstephan (where else?!) for dessert.

The trumpets and trombones on the balcony would call us when it was time to enter the theater: at 15 minutes they play the tune once. At 10 minutes twice and when you listen to them play it 3 times then you know you only have 5 minutes to be in your seat. That's enough time as access to the seats is easy and the people in your row stand until all have been seated. Then at 4 pm a bell rings and all the side doors are closed and curtains pulled over them to stop any chinks of daylight peeking in. The lights go down and the only light left is the glow from the orchestra pit shining on the gray stage curtains.

Silence in the theater.

The orchestra begins.

In Lohengrin  it's only an hour before they stop as the curtain closes again. A slight pause as the audience waits for the last note of Act I to die away in the cathedral acoustic and then they cheer and applaud.

A couple of minutes later and we are back in the sun, ready to eat then stroll the grounds and find somewhere quiet to sit and reflect.

Our main courses and dessert would be served to us during the Act II intermission and then we would meet Mr and Mrs Lisle , our table mates from Nottingham, England who were going to have to eat all the courses in one hour. This was their first visit to the Festival after 10 years on the waiting list and they only had one performance to see. They were good company for the short time we spent with them. The food was of a very high calibre indeed. Fine dining. Not schnitzels and beer.

We didn't stay to watch them eat as we wanted to relax before the last act. In the video you will see people wandering through the Jewish Bayreuth History exhibit placed on large boards for all to read.

I don't spend any time trying to tell you about this music that draws people from all over the World.
Search youtube for the opera names I have given. Some will be from Bayreuth over the last couple of years so you'll get an idea. If you are not curious then don't bother. The more people there are trying to get into Wagner operas the harder it is for us to get the seats we want-and that's not a good thing!
So my advice is to STAY AWAY. Wagner has been popular since the 1840s....170 years already.

Here's a video of our last evening on the Green Hill.....