• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contributors
  • Work With Us
  • CONTACT US
  • Blog
  • Our Sponsors

CaliforniaGermans

All Things German In California

  • Life in California
    • German Food -Bakeries|Markets|Delis
    • Restaurants – German|Austrian|Swiss
    • German Schools- Kindergarten|PreSchools|GradeSchools|
    • German Clubs & Community
    • German Traditions in CA
    • CA For Kids
    • Tips & Guidelines
    • German Cooking & Baking
    • Events & More
    • KONSULATE
  • Education
    • German Schools SoCal
    • German Schools NorCal
    • Kindergruppen
  • Travel
    • Travel
    • Travel CA
  • Expat Stories
    • XPAT Spotlight
  • Lese-Ecke
  • JOB BOARD
  • Forum

Richard Wagner

Ticket Give-Away to Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” Celebrating His Bicentennial

August 28, 2013 by Cornelia 1 Comment

Salastina Music Society will kick off its fourth season with a special event on Saturday September 7th at 8pm in Thayer Hall at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, and give away one pair of tickets to one lucky CaliforniaGermans winner. (ENTER the Give-Away by clicking the picture below or ENTER on our Facebook Page)

2013Aug-SalastinaWagner

In light of Richard Wagner’s  200th birth year, Salastina Music Society will perform a real jewel and masterpiece of chamber music: The original version of the “Siegried Idyll”, originally set for 13 musicians only.

You might know this beautiful piece of music since it is publicly often performed by a larger orchestra, but Salastina Music Society wanted to capture the personal note of the original piece and invited 11 outstanding musicians to perform this musical treat.   “Not many people know that Wagner wrote the Siegfried Idyll as a birthday present for his wife Cosima!” says Maia Jasper, Salastina’s co-artistic director. Richard Wagner apparently gathered 13 musicians in his villa, positioned them outside the bedroom, and gently roused her from sleep with his lovely piece.

Classical KUSC’s Brian Lauritzen, recently profiled in the LA Times as the “youthful, unorthodox laid-back evangelist of the classical radio world,” will guide through the program, which will start with an original arrangement of the fiery Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Wagner’s contemporary, Johannes Brahms.

Among the 11 guest artists are international soloist Hakan Rosengren on clarinet, principal flute of Pacific Symphony Orchestra Benjamin Smollen, members of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and highly regarded rising stars.

The concert will take place on September 7th, 2013 at 8 pm in Thayer Hall at the Colburn School (200 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012).

Discounted tickets ($28) for each concert can be purchased at www.salastinasociety.org; regular-priced tickets ($35) will be available at the door. Students with valid ID may purchase tickets for $10.

Please join the musicians at the complimentary reception immediately following the performance.

Related articles
  • Wagner Week: Bayreuth Remains a Colorful, Controversial Mecca (wqxr.org)
  • Wagner Week: The Life of Richard Wagner (wqxr.org)
  • Critics Name Their Favorite Wagner Recordings (NY Times)
  • Richard Wagner’s 200th Birthday – The world is celebrating his Bicentennial

Filed Under: Attractions & Events, Culture, German Literature & Theater Tagged With: Brian Lauritzen, Classical KUSC, Richard Wagner, Salastina Music Society, Siegfried Idyll

Richard Wagner’s 200th Birthday – The world is celebrating his Bicentennial

May 22, 2013 by Cornelia 2 Comments

richard-wagner-verdi1

Today, May 22, famous German composer Richard Wagner would have turned 200 years old. A controversial and eccentric figure throughout his lifetime he is being commemorated this year by many opera houses throughout the world and special festivals are celebrating his Bicentenary.

Growing up in Germany and life in exile

On May 22, 1813 Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig as a ninth child. His biological father passed away when Wagner was only 6 months old, and he grew up with his stepfather, an actor and playwright. He loved theatre and followed in his stepdad’s footsteps so that he initially wanted to become a playwright as well. His love for dramatic writing stayed with him and he wrote his own libretti for all his operas.

During several stages of his life Wagner had to leave Germany and live in exile, either to avoid his creditors or because of his political engagements. Amorous affairs marked his life until is death.

Wagner’s artistic gift to the world

At the age of 20, Richard Wagner composed his first complete opera, Die Feen (The Fairies). A work inspired by Carl Maria v. Weber’s music, whose opera Der Freischütz had intrigued the young Wagner. However Die Feen stays unproduced until after his death.

Even though he composed much more than only operas, which often are referred to as “music dramas”, Wagner’s primary artistic legacy are exactly those.

Wagner uniquely not only composed the music for his operas but also wrote the libretti himself, which he called “poems”. He formed the terminology “Gesamtkunstwerk”, “…in which all musical, poetic and dramatic elements were to be fused.” (wikipedia)

Wagner’s most famous operas include Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Der fliegende Hollaender, and Rienzi ; his tragic love story Tristan und Isolde, and his only comedy Die Meistersinger, as well as his later masterpieces within  “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, which is a set of four operas, referred to also as the “Ring” or “Ring Cycle”. The four operas within the “Ring” are Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung.

He has been an innovator in many ways and revolutionized the until then used classical framework for operas.  Compositions of especially his later time period helped pave the way for modern music. His own opera house in Bayreuth he designed in a way that the audience has a perfect view of the stage and the performers from every seat. He moved away from the traditional horse-shoe shaped opera house seating to a seating structure seen today in all contemporary movie theaters:  The seats are arranged in a single steeply-shaped wedge, with no galleries or boxes.

Inspiration to royals & dictators

Wagner, a controversial figure during his lifetime, a provocateur and polemic, inspired royals and dictators alike. King Ludwig II of Bavaria, was one of Wagner’s great admirers and financial rescuers. He built one fantasy castles in particular to accommodate certain themes of the Wagnerian operas. Castle Neuschwanstein, a model for Disneylands Fairytale castle, was his homage to Wagner.

Ludwig II  is said to have gone so far in his devotion to Richard Wagner as to consider giving up his office as monarch of Bavaria prematurely in order to follow Wagner into exile.

Sadly Wagner’s operas with its teutonic themes also became an inspiration to dictator Adolf Hitler . He was introduced to Wagner’s work as an adolescent long after the composer’s death, and felt that Wagner’s operas supported his own vision of the German nation and views on society in grand.  Furthermore, Wagner’s own antisemitic writings might have been another reinforcement to Hitler of his own ideas. When Hitler came to power, Bayreuth was managed by Winifred Wagner, the English-born widow of Siegfried Wagner, a son of Richard Wagner. She was a supporter of Hitler and invited him often to Bayreuth as a guest.

festspielhaus BayreuthWagner’s Heritage lives on today

Having been a fascinating personality throughout his life, he now lives on through his descendants. His family continues to be dedicated to guarding and keeping his musical heritage to the world alive. Every year, the Bayreuther Festspiele (Bayreuth Festival) draw in an international audience. It’s a festival that has been organized by family members ever since Bayreuth became the home not only for the Wagner family but most importantly for Wagner’s operas solely.  Katharina Wagner, Richard Wagner’s great granddaughter, is the current opera stage-director and co-director of the Bayreuth Festival.

The World celebrates Wagner’s Bicentennial

London celebrates Richard Wagner’s bicentenary with ‘Wagner 200’, a festival that will last from May to  December 2013. The festival opens with a 200th birthday concert for the composer today on May 22, 2013.

Opera Australia presents Der Ring des Nibelungen (the Ring cycle) at the Arts Centre, Melbourne. During November and December 2013 the opera house will perform three complete cycles of the four mighty operas which make up Wagner’s epic vision. Tickets will go on sale in June 2013.

“The Flying Dutchman” had already been a guest at the L.A. Opera during March 2013.

In Germany Richard Wagner is of course being celebrated in Bayreuth.  On 22 May 2013, Christian Thielemann, one of the world’s leading interpreters of Wagner’s works, is conducting the Bayreuth Festival orchestra and an array of outstanding soloists in a programme for the 200th anniversary of Wagner’s birth. The city Leipzig celebrates its famous son with the City of Leipzig Richard Wagner Festival.

For more festivities click here.  For a travel guide to Wagner celebrations by DW (Deutsche Welle), click here.

Wagner’s AUTOBIOGRAPHY “My Life” at the Project Gutenberg Library

Download and read Wagner’s autobiography My Life for free at the Project Gutenberg library. “Project Gutenberg offers over 42,000 free ebooks: choose among free epub books, free kindle books, download them or read them online.” (Project Gutenberg)

For a personal letter written by Wagner’s great-granddaughter Katharina Wagner, Bayreuth festival director, to his Great-grandfather Richard Wagner, click here.

Article Sources:

Richard Wagner at Wikipedia
Cosima Wagner at wikipedia
200 years of Wagner
.
Related articles
  • Great-granddaughter of composer Richard Wagner agrees to hand over private letters to determine family links with the Nazis (dailymail.co.uk)
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalmusic/8659814/Hitler-and-Wagner.html
  • Richard Wagner’s 200th anniversary reignites debate over controversial composer (rawstory.com)
  • As Richard Wagner’s 200 Birthday Nears – Staged Reading of ” Richard and Felix – Twilight in Venice” at the Goethe Institut L.A. (californiagermans.com)
  • Musical world celebrates Wagner’s 200th birthday (beta.dawn.com)
  • Musical world hails Wagner birthday (bbc.co.uk)
  • http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/09/the-case-for-wagner-in-israel.html

Filed Under: Culture, Germany in the News Tagged With: Bayreuth Festival, Germany, Richard Wagner, Richard Wagner's 200th Birthday, ring des nibelungen, Wagner 200th Birthday

Music And The Arts in Southern California – CaliforniaGermans Weekend Suggestions

August 7, 2010 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Have already plans for the weekend? If still undecided or in need of some more ideas, look over our CaliforniaGermans‘ eclectic suggestions:

According to the weather forecast this weekend has some colder summer temperatures in stock for us. Perfect weather for checking out some of Southern California’s cool museums. So after a quick and windy visit at the US Open for surfing in Huntington Beach, you might want to drive down south along PCH and pay a visit to the Laguna Art Museum and its exhibit  Art Shack that OC Weekly calls  a “cooler-than-cool” exhibition. Open until Oct 3rd one can explore “…surf shacks, tattoo huts, retro shanties and more… Art Shack is presented by Hurley.”

Keep going south and stop by the San Juan Capistrano library later on for their Music At The Library Event on Saturday evening, featuring Steve Riley and the three-time Grammy-nominated Mamou Playboys. There will be two shows with the first one starting at 6:30pm and the second at 8:30pm. Location: San Juan Capistrano Regional Library, 31495 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, CA  92675

On Sunday, don’t miss OCMA’s (Orange County Museum of Art) Target free second Sunday Family event. Not only is admission free on the second Sunday of every month but a whole program of activities is offered throughout the day, form hands-on projects to film shorts for kids screenings, and more. The program is from 11 am to 4 pm.  

Going north along the coast brings us not only to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, which is always a lot of fun, but Long Beach is also home to a great museum , that my family always enjoys:  MOLAA. The Museum of Latin American Art which is the only museum in the western United States that exclusively features contemporary Latin American Art.  MOLAA is now offering free admission on Sundays. Apart from great contemporary art exhibits and a noteworthy 15,000 sq. ft. sculpture garden, this Sunday, August 8th, will also kick off the Colombian Cinema Showcase which will present screenings of the best in contemporary Colombian film. These screenings will include a variety of features, documentaries, and short films. The opening reception is free and open to the public, will include tours of the galleries, live music and a free screening. Call for details – 562-437-1689

More Latin Sounds are offered at LACMA in Los Angeles which is presenting Adonis Puentes this Saturday, August 7,  at 5:00 pm. The concert will be at Hancock Park and entrance is free.  On Sunday LACMA will have its free Andell Family Sundays from 12:30–3:30 pm with bilingual gallery tours and programs designed especially for families. Special Tip: Richard Wagner fans might want to visit the exhibit Myths, Legends, and Cultural Renewal: Wagner’s Sources at that time as well since it will be closing on August 16, 2010.

More music but this time especially for kids can be found at the Getty Center. This free concert series in the Central Garden is for kids and their families and features some of the best children’s musicians from across the nation:  August 7 and 8- Dance with Milkshake, a band sure to have you and your kids on your feet with their rock ‘n’ roll tunes. From 11:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. there is also free family fun with tours especially designed for children, art workshops, hands on projects and much more.

Despite the predicted cooler summer nights this weekend, I have to mention the Flights & Sounds Summer Festival at the Orange County Great Park. With free dance lessons at 7:30pm and concerts starting at 8pm the Orange County Great Park Corporation presents in partnership with the Irvine Barclay Theatre free Saturday night concerts and Friday Night Dance Parties.

The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles presents Skirball’s free Sunset Concerts, celebrating musical traditions from around the globe, every Thursday evenings, July 22–August 26. All concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Free admission; no reservations.

Last, should you care for some German theatre, right from Berlin. Franz Kafka’s: A Report To an Academy is playing in German with English subtitles at The Ivy Substation (The ACTORS GANG) in Culver City, 9070 Venice Blvd. Tickets are $20/$15 and can be ordered by calling 323-464-3375 or per email zoodistrict@gmail.com

Enjoy the weekend!

Share

Filed Under: Art & Cinematographie, Attractions & Events, Culture, Fun For Kids - Kinderecke, German Literature & Theater, Life in California Tagged With: California Germans, Franz Kafka, German theater, Getty Center, LACMA, Laguna Art Museum, MOLAA, Music events Los Angeles, music events Orange County, Richard Wagner, Skirrball Center

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us Online

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Join us on Facebook

Join us on Facebook

Featured Sponsors

Notice

Please note that CaliforniaGermans is not affiliated with the California Staatszeitung. Thank you!

Featured Post –

Kids going to school - California Germans

Want to teach German in Southern California?

German American School Association (GASA) is looking for German teachers for their school in San … [Read More...] about Want to teach German in Southern California?

Featured Posts – Travel

Traveling in Times of Covid-19: Regulations & more

Are you unsure if you can travel to Germany this summer? What about your … [Read More...] about Traveling in Times of Covid-19: Regulations & more

  • Travel As a Dual Citizen. Do You Know Which Passport to Use When?

More Posts from this Category

Advertisements

Global College Advisers Logo

Follow us on Twitter

My Tweets

RSS DW-Top News Germany

  • Fact check: Supporting German children instead of Ukraine?
    German aid organizations allegedly demanded that money be spent on sick German children instead of tank deliveries to Ukraine. But the whole story is made up, and the video explaining it is a spoof.
  • EU asylum rules are 'prehistoric,' Steinmeier says in Italy
    Germany's president is in Italy amid tensions between Rome and Berlin over migration. He and his Italian counterpart appealed for a peace deal in flood-hit and wartorn Libya, one of the key launching points in Africa.

Footer

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

important links

Privacy

Terms & Disclosure

Copyright

©2009-2023 CaliforniaGermans. All Rights Reserved

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy

Categories

Archives

Work with Us

RSS Links

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Newsletter

Follow Us

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · Log in

 

Loading Comments...