Yesterday was the day: The 4th Siemens Festival Night took place. Lohengrin was presented under the musical direction of Andris Nelsons and directed by Hans Neuenfels. The performance was not only broadcast live from the Festspielhaus onto the 180m² LED wall for public viewing, but also aired by ARTE and streamed worldwide via the internet.
Already in the morning, Richard Wagner for Children – The Ring des Nibelungen captivated not only young viewers. More than 3000 visitors gathered at the festival grounds for the screening of the new DVD of what is now the third children’s opera. Katharina Wagner warmly welcomed the audience. Moderator Axel Brüggemann guided through the day with changing guests, including the co-hosts of the Festival Night: Mayor Dr. Michael Hohl and Michael Roßnagl (Head of the Siemens Art and Music Education Program). Following the children’s opera, the Wagner Adventure Trail offered a colorful programme for the youngest – with great enthusiasm and creativity, they worked at five stations, from costumes to masks to music, and finally presented the results on the children’s ring stage.
In the early afternoon, more and more people gathered at the festival grounds to eagerly await the broadcast of Lohengrin in high summer temperatures. Soon everyone had found their place, whether in the provided rows of chairs, on brought-along folding chairs, the beer benches and seating of the varied gastronomy, or on towels in the beach bar. The tension rose as the fanfare players entered the stage in front of the screen and, as on the green hill, announced the start of the opera broadcast. Between concentration and a relaxed folk festival atmosphere, each of the more than twenty thousand visitors throughout the day could enjoy the opera in their own personal way.
Torrential rain before the start of the second act briefly drove many guests away, but already during the second act, the sun broke through again. Most literally turned on their heels and followed the third act under an atmospheric evening sky. They would not regret it: After the audience in the Festspielhaus had celebrated the artists, they gathered at the festival grounds. Enthusiastic applause was already heard at the end of the broadcast, and the participants were now also celebrated with enthusiasm upon their arrival.