Two female figures, in truth one and the same person, at odds with herself, in her continuous struggle with the Ring, yet full of passion and devotion for one goal: the stage, which is life.
Brünnhilde brennt
at Friedrichsforum Bayreuth
Cast 2026
Musical Direction: Jonathan Stockhammer
Direction: Neil Barry Moss
Featuring: Catherine Foster
Performed by Dortmunder Philharmoniker
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Made possible by the Gesellschaft der Freunde von Bayreuth e. V.
Brünnhilde dreams. She is tormented by restless sleep, haunted by the fire encircling the Valkyrie’s rock – the very place where Wagner’s Ring, that eternal work, has confined her for all time, condemned to play the same sacrificial role again and again. She awakens – Hermine, the opera singer, drenched in sweat in her hotel room.
Two women – in truth, one and the same – at war with themselves in their endless struggle with the Ring, caught in eternal conflict with the other characters in Wagner’s pantheon of figures, and yet filled with passion and devotion to one goal alone: the stage, which is life. Brünnhilde burns.
In 2026, the year of its 150th anniversary, the Bayreuth Festival will once again present the world premiere of a commissioned work with “Brünnhilde brennt” – marking its 150th anniversary. Composer Bernhard Lang and librettist Michael Sturminger have created a dreamlike piece that invites audiences to reflect on the layers of reality and the ongoing struggle with our cultural inheritance. Brünnhilde brennt is a co-production between the Bayreuth Festival and Dortmund Opera – a company that, under the artistic direction of Heribert Germeshausen, has emerged in recent years as one of the leading institutions for contemporary Wagner interpretation outside Bayreuth, particularly through the festival format Wagner Kosmos.
– Daniel C. Schindler
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