Richard Wagner for children – The Flying Dutchman

Bayreuth Festival to mount a new production also in 2009

In the 2009 season the Bayreuth Festival will present for the first time a work of Richard Wagner's that has been specially adapted for children. The work that has been chosen to launch the project "Richard Wagner for Children" is Der fliegende Holländer. The premiere of the children's version is on the opening day of the Bayreuth Festival, Saturday 25 July 2009, at 12.30 p.m. Rehearsal Stage IV will be converted to stage the children's opera, which is aimed at children aged from 6 to 10. The production is to be created in cooperation with the Hanns Eisler College of Music degree programme in music theatre production and as part of a collaborative project with the Fair Play Foundation. It has been made possible thanks to the generous assistance of the car manufacturer Audi, the Rudolf Wöhrl AG, and the Herbert Hillmann and Margot Müller Foundation.

The children's version of the opera has been written by Alexander Busche and adapted for 19 musicians by Christoph Ulrich Meier, who will also be the musical director. The production will be directed by Alvaro Schoeck with sets and costumes designed by Merle Vierck.

Please notice that due to the great request all performances are booked out already!

In all, ten performances are scheduled for the period from 25 July to 2 August 2009. Admission is free for children. Adults pay 20 euros per ticket. There is free admission also for one adult accompanying a child or a group of up to 15 children. For groups of over 15 children, two adult supervisors gain free admission.

Richard Wagner for Children – Der fliegende Holländer
Idea and adaptation of the libretto: Alexander Busche
Musical adaptation: Christoph Ulrich Meier

A production of BF Medien GmbH for the Bayreuth Festival in cooperation with the Hanns Eisler College of Music degree programme in music theatre production [director: Prof. Claus Unzen] and with the Fair Play Foundation.

The project "Wagner for Children" has been made possible thanks to:



 
 Principal sponsor of the Bayreuth Festival and the children's opera

Audi AG [principal sponsor of the Bayreuth Festival]
Rudolf Wöhrl AG [sponsor of the children's opera]
Herbert Hillmann and Margot Müller Foundation