Latest news with #Bayreuth
The Independent
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Tenor Piotr Beczała sings different productions of Wagner's 'Lohengrin' 41 hours apart
Less than 41 hours after his final bows for singing the title role of 'Lohengrin' at Munich 's Bavarian State Opera, Piotr Beczała was 150 miles (241 kilometers) away at the Bayreuth Festpielhaus for a different production of the same Wagner opera. Wagner's roles are among the most punishing in classical music, and breaks of two or three days between performances are customary to allow for vocal recovery. Beczała earned thunderous ovations on Wednesday in Munich and Friday at Bayreuth. 'I was a little under pressure because Christian Thielemann is coming back to Bayreuth for this production," the 58-year-old Polish tenor said, citing his desire to please the conductor. "We did it in 2018 and '19 so, yeah, I agreed with this crazy schedule.' Limited rehearsal time Beczała and the cast for the revival of Yuval Sharon's 2018 Bayreuth production arrived July 12 for four hours of blocking at a studio, then had a 7 1/2-hour final dress rehearsal the following day in the auditorium built to Wagner's specifications. He traveled to Munich on July 14 for a recital four days later at the 150th Munich Opera Festival followed by 'Lohengrin' in Kornél Mundruczó's 2022 staging on July 27 and 30. Beczała drove back to Bayreuth the next morning for a 3 p.m. music rehearsal with Thielemann, who led Beczała's first Lohengrin in 2016. There were three more performances at Bayreuth through Aug. 9. 'Having sung Lohengrin in a different production previously, he carries a mature interpretation that can adapt fluidly to different directorial visions,' Bavarian State Opera general director Serge Dorny said. 'His preparation for both stagings was meticulous, and we knew that he would approach each performance with total professionalism and focus.' Lohengrin, a mysterious knight, arrives to unite the divided people of Brabant and defend the noblewoman Elsa from the false accusation she murdered her brother. He agrees to marry her on the condition she never ask him his name or origin. A veteran of seven productions Beczała also has sung Lohengrin in Dresden, Vienna, New York, Paris and Zurich. Mundruczó and Sharon, like many contemporary directors, abandoned Wagner's 1850 stage directions that have Lohengrin arrive and depart on a boat pulled by a swan. "He is not necessarily coming as a God-sent person,' Mundruczó said. 'It's more like someone who we are choosing, so somehow it's one of us." Monika Pormale designed stark white sets for Munich that included hilly, grassy areas in the first act. Beczała nearly slipped but caught his balance in time. Anna Axer Fijalkowska costumed Lohengrin in cream as a common man rather than medieval finery: jeans, sweatshirt and loafers. 'I go, to be honest, on airplanes more elegant than that,' Beczała said, laughing. Anna Brunnlechner, the revival stage director, didn't mind the compressed practice period. 'I prefer a very intense time, also with a bit of adrenaline, than a very long rehearsal time where you can talk every detail," she said. Bayreuth's sets and costumes were by the married artists Neo Rauch and Rosa Loy, dominated by the color Delft Blue — even Beczała's wig. Their Lohengrin is dressed like a 1930s electrician wearing a shirt and tie with overalls, arriving in a transformer and clutching a lightning bolt for a sword. Sharon, in an email to assistant director Eva-Maria Abelein he shared with the AP, called the opera 'the story of the decay of the angel." 'Lohengrin is a bringer of light, and he is humble at first — he is a servant of a higher force,' he wrote. 'But the idea of a year of bodily pleasure, joy, love, four seasons … He can't resist it. And the character we see in Act II is arrogant, full of himself, and much closer to violence. In Act III, he is brutal with his new wife — because that's what he thinks humans do.' Beczała took over for the 2018 production premiere when Roberto Alagna withdrew 27 days before the first performance. 'Piotr is really exceptional,' Abelein said Saturday. 'He took one wrong position last night and then he came off saying, 'I'm so sorry about this.' I said, 'Piotr, it's not important at all because the way he acted is important.'' Surprise liquid refreshment Wolfgang Schilly, another Bayreuth assistant director, provided Beczała some special assistance for this year's opener. Beczała was thinking about "In fernem land (In a distant land),' the third-act aria when Lohengrin reveals his name to Elsa. 'I could give a thousand dollars for just a little water before the aria but there's no space,' Beczała recalled telling him Thursday. Schilly had a tiny hole punctured in the set wall between where oversized insect wings were pinned, then inserted a straw attached to a bottle. An appreciative Beczała was able to sip. 'I'm not so sure that Neo Rauch is happy that we make a hole in his art,' Beczała said, smiling.
Associated Press
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Tenor Piotr Beczała sings different productions of Wagner's 'Lohengrin' 41 hours apart
BAYREUTH, Germany (AP) — Less than 41 hours after his final bows for singing the title role of 'Lohengrin' at Munich's Bavarian State Opera, Piotr Beczała was 150 miles (241 kilometers) away at the Bayreuth Festpielhaus for a different production of the same Wagner opera. Wagner's roles are among the most punishing in classical music, and breaks of two or three days between performances are customary to allow for vocal recovery. Beczała earned thunderous ovations on Wednesday in Munich and Friday at Bayreuth. 'I was a little under pressure because Christian Thielemann is coming back to Bayreuth for this production,' the 58-year-old Polish tenor said, citing his desire to please the conductor. 'We did it in 2018 and '19 so, yeah, I agreed with this crazy schedule.' Limited rehearsal time Beczała and the cast for the revival of Yuval Sharon's 2018 Bayreuth production arrived July 12 for four hours of blocking at a studio, then had a 7 1/2-hour final dress rehearsal the following day in the auditorium built to Wagner's specifications. He traveled to Munich on July 14 for a recital four days later at the 150th Munich Opera Festival followed by 'Lohengrin' in Kornél Mundruczó's 2022 staging on July 27 and 30. Beczała drove back to Bayreuth the next morning for a 3 p.m. music rehearsal with Thielemann, who led Beczała's first Lohengrin in 2016. There were three more performances at Bayreuth through Aug. 9. 'Having sung Lohengrin in a different production previously, he carries a mature interpretation that can adapt fluidly to different directorial visions,' Bavarian State Opera general director Serge Dorny said. 'His preparation for both stagings was meticulous, and we knew that he would approach each performance with total professionalism and focus.' Lohengrin, a mysterious knight, arrives to unite the divided people of Brabant and defend the noblewoman Elsa from the false accusation she murdered her brother. He agrees to marry her on the condition she never ask him his name or origin. A veteran of seven productions Beczała also has sung Lohengrin in Dresden, Vienna, New York, Paris and Zurich. Mundruczó and Sharon, like many contemporary directors, abandoned Wagner's 1850 stage directions that have Lohengrin arrive and depart on a boat pulled by a swan. 'He is not necessarily coming as a God-sent person,' Mundruczó said. 'It's more like someone who we are choosing, so somehow it's one of us.' Monika Pormale designed stark white sets for Munich that included hilly, grassy areas in the first act. Beczała nearly slipped but caught his balance in time. Anna Axer Fijalkowska costumed Lohengrin in cream as a common man rather than medieval finery: jeans, sweatshirt and loafers. 'I go, to be honest, on airplanes more elegant than that,' Beczała said, laughing. Anna Brunnlechner, the revival stage director, didn't mind the compressed practice period. 'I prefer a very intense time, also with a bit of adrenaline, than a very long rehearsal time where you can talk every detail,' she said. Bayreuth's sets and costumes were by the married artists Neo Rauch and Rosa Loy, dominated by the color Delft Blue — even Beczała's wig. Their Lohengrin is dressed like a 1930s electrician wearing a shirt and tie with overalls, arriving in a transformer and clutching a lightning bolt for a sword. Sharon, in an email to assistant director Eva-Maria Abelein he shared with the AP, called the opera 'the story of the decay of the angel.' 'Lohengrin is a bringer of light, and he is humble at first — he is a servant of a higher force,' he wrote. 'But the idea of a year of bodily pleasure, joy, love, four seasons … He can't resist it. And the character we see in Act II is arrogant, full of himself, and much closer to violence. In Act III, he is brutal with his new wife — because that's what he thinks humans do.' Beczała took over for the 2018 production premiere when Roberto Alagna withdrew 27 days before the first performance. 'Piotr is really exceptional,' Abelein said Saturday. 'He took one wrong position last night and then he came off saying, 'I'm so sorry about this.' I said, 'Piotr, it's not important at all because the way he acted is important.'' Surprise liquid refreshment Wolfgang Schilly, another Bayreuth assistant director, provided Beczała some special assistance for this year's opener. Beczała was thinking about 'In fernem land (In a distant land),' the third-act aria when Lohengrin reveals his name to Elsa. 'I could give a thousand dollars for just a little water before the aria but there's no space,' Beczała recalled telling him Thursday. Schilly had a tiny hole punctured in the set wall between where oversized insect wings were pinned, then inserted a straw attached to a bottle. An appreciative Beczała was able to sip. 'I'm not so sure that Neo Rauch is happy that we make a hole in his art,' Beczała said, smiling.
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Two German chancellors attend opening of Bayreuth Festival
Germany's renowned Bayreuth Festival of operas by Richard Wagner kicked off on Friday afternoon with a new production of "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg," with both Chancellor Friedrich Merz and former chancellor Angela Merkel gracing the red carpet. The opening is traditionally attended by prominent figures from politics, business and culture. Merz was accompanied by his wife Charlotte and Merkel by her husband Professor Joachim Sauer. Bavarian Premier Markus Söder even bowed to Merkel, who has been a regular guest at the festival for many years. Former wild child Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and pop singer Sasha were among other well-known guests for Friday's opening. Other politicians on hand included Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer, Education Minister Dorothee Bär and Green Party politician Cem Özdemir. Matthias Davids, a renowned musical expert, is directing this year's new "Master-Singers" production. The musical direction is under Daniele Gatti. Michael Spyres sings the role of Walther von Stolzing, and Christina Nilsson will be seen and heard as Eva. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany launches 'cultural buildings offensive' to restore landmarks
Germany's culture authorities have pledged to restore the country's worn and crumbling architectural heritage, with a slew of eminent buildings from various eras in line for renovation. "The cultural infrastructure needs strengthening," new Culture Commissioner Wolfram Weimer said on Saturday during a visit to the Venice Biennale of Architecture. "That's why we are promoting and accelerating numerous construction projects in the cultural sector," he added. Weimer said some projects are already under way, such as the renovation of the Luther House in the eastern German city of Wittenberg and the synagogue in the southern city of Augsburg. St Paul's Church in Frankfurt, completed in the 19th century, and more contemporary buildings such as the German Photo Institute in Dusseldorf, for example, will now qualify for renewal under a so-called "cultural buildings offensive," he said. Others under consideration for refurbishment or new construction include Richard Wagner's festival theatre in Bayreuth, the German Port Museum in Hamburg, the Görlitz city hall and the extension of Leipzig's German National Library, according to Weimer. Weimer, who took office in early May under the government of new conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, also mentioned the planned German-Polish House in Berlin and the remodelling of concentration camp memorials in Dachau, Ravensbrück and Sachsenhausen. "Due to their high visibility, cultural buildings make a direct contribution to the appeal and strength of Germany," he said. "Cultural buildings are part of our identity as a cultural nation. They promote social cohesion, as they make stimulation and encounters possible," he added. Investments also promote employment in construction and the skilled trades, the minister said. With opposition support, Germany's previous government authorized new infrastructure spending of €500 billion ($567 billion). Exactly how this money is to be spent is still under discussion.
Fast Company
22-05-2025
- Science
- Fast Company
The world's first genetically modified spider could lead to new ‘supermaterials'
Researchers funded by the U.S. Navy have used gene-editing technology to make house spiders produce red fluorescent silk. This might seem like a quirky scientific novelty, but the breakthrough is a critical step toward modifying spider silk properties and creating new 'supermaterials' for industries ranging from textiles to aerospace. The team at Germany's University of Bayreuth, led by Professor Thomas Scheibel, successfully applied CRISPR-Cas9—a molecular tool that acts as 'genetic scissors' to cut and modify DNA sequences—to spiders for the first time. The study, published in the scientific journal Angewandte Chemi e, demonstrates how this technology introduces modifications that enhance the extraordinary properties of spider silk, turning it into a next-generation supermaterial. In a press release, professor Thomas Scheibel, chair of biomaterials at the University of Bayreuth and senior author of the study, said, 'Considering the wide range of possible applications, it is surprising that there have been no studies to date using CRISPR-Cas9 in spiders.' His team injected a solution containing CRISPR-Cas9 components into female Parasteatoda tepidariorum, a common house spider species. To facilitate the process, the spiders were anesthetized with carbon dioxide and manually held under a microscope. The solution, which included a gene encoding a red fluorescent protein (called mRFP), was delivered into the eggs within the females' abdomens before mating with males so the resulting baby spiders could carry the gene modification. What are scientists trying to do? The experiment set two objectives: first, to disable a gene called sine oculis, responsible for the development of all spider eyes, in order to study its function. And then second, to insert the fluorescent protein gene into the MaSp2gene, which produces the silk thread spiders use to move hunt, hike, and chill out. In modified specimens, disabling sine oculis caused total or partial eye loss, confirming its critical role in visual development. According to the study, without this gene spiders fail to form eye structures, though the cornea develops normally. But the breakthrough with far-reaching industrial implications is the silk modification. The injected fluorescent protein gene successfully integrated into the MaSp2 gene, causing fibers produced by the modified spiders to glow red under ultraviolet light. According to Scheibel, they 'have demonstrated, for the first time worldwide, that CRISPR-Cas9 can be used to incorporate a desired sequence into spider silk proteins, thereby enabling the functionalisation of these silk fibres.' He says that the ability to apply CRISPR gene-editing to spider silk is very promising for materials science research—for example, it could be used to further increase the already high tensile strength of spider silk.' This accomplishment was no small feat. Spider genomes are complex, and their embryonic development—marked by unique cell migration stages—complicates genetic editing, according to the researchers. In fact, only 7% of egg sacs that were treated with the CRISPR solution contained modified offspring, a low efficiency rate typical for species with large broods (common house spiders carry about 250 spiders per sac). Additionally, the spiders they used are cannibalistic nature, which required them to be reared in isolation (not all spiders are cannibalistic in nature, but many do eat their males after mating and others eat each other). The race for 'super silk' It's a very promising development indeed. Spider silk is one of nature's strongest materials. Certain types of spider silk are significantly lighter and tougher than Kevlar. Silk is also far more elastic, which means it can stretch and return to its original shape without losing its strength. To top all this, spider silk production by spiders (or other animals, more on this later) does not involve the industrial processes, high energy consumption, and pollution associated with the manufacturing of synthetic materials like Kevlar. This is a major area of interest for biomimicry and sustainable materials. Until now, modifying spider silk's properties required costly, lab-based post-extraction processing, which is difficult to scale. This study shows that altering silk directly within the organism is feasible, paving the way for custom-designed silks with enhanced properties. While spider silk remains unmatched in natural performance, CRISPR-edited silkworms are emerging as scalable alternatives. Silkworms can be farmed en masse (unlike solitary, cannibalistic spiders), and recent advances show their engineered silk reaches 1.3 GPa tensile strength, comparable to high-tensile steel, which is a steel alloyed with chromium, molybdenum, manganese, nickel, silicon, and vanadium. Companies like Kraig Biocraft Laboratories already use CRISPR to produce spider-silk hybrids in silkworms, targeting industries like textiles and medical sutures. However, spider silk holds unique advantages over those genetically modified silkworms. Its dragline fibers are inherently stronger and 10 times finer. Using the method developed by Scheibel's team, potential CRISPR-enhanced spiders are likely to gain more superpowers, like getting closer to Kevlar or gaining better electrical conductivity. Where super silk might be used In medicine, spider silk's biocompatibility makes it ideal for dissolvable surgical sutures that reduce scarring and artificial tendons mimicking natural elasticity. Researchers are also developing 3D-printed scaffolds infused with silk proteins to regenerate bone or cartilage, leveraging silk's porous structure to support cell growth. For drug delivery, silk microcapsules could release medications at controlled rates, improving treatments for chronic diseases. New applications can integrate silk in sensors for real-time health monitoring in implants or conduct electricity for flexible electronics. The U.S. Navy's funding of the research makes sense too, given its interest in lightweight body armor. Spider silk can outperform Kevlar, while its elasticity reduces blunt-force trauma. In aerospace, silk composites could replace carbon fiber, cutting aircraft weight by 40% and improving fuel efficiency. NASA already explores silk-based materials for radiation shielding in space habitats, capitalizing on its strength-to-weight ratio. Companies like AMSilk and Spintex engineer spider silk proteins into biodegradable textiles, reducing reliance on synthetic fabrics derived from fossil fuels. Adidas has prototyped ultralight running shoes with silk midsoles, while Airbus tests silk-based cabin panels to lower aircraft emissions. Spintex claims that its energy-efficient spinning process—1,000 times more efficient than plastic production—could revolutionize sustainable fashion, addressing the industry's 10% global carbon footprint. Right now, Scheibel's team is already exploring CRISPR edits to add moisture-responsive shrinking or toxin-detecting color changes to silk. Once they achieve whatever new wundersilks they—or the U.S. Navy—have in mind, they will have to come up with a way to mass-produce them. This evokes images of farms full of millions of genetically modified spiders, which sounds as fun as a rave with 10,000 zombies from The Last of Us. But the spider farms may never happen: As the researchers mention, many spiders are cannibals and the success rate of modification is still very low, so this will be a challenge. That is what makes genetically modified silkworms ideal to make spider-like silks, as they have been farmed for silk production since the neolithic, about 6,000 years ago, when Yangshao culture in China realized that silkworms could be raised to harvest cocoons that then got weaved to create silk fabric. The solution may be taking the successful spider DNA modifications they develop and using other animals to produce them, like silkworms or goats (yes, spider-goats are a thing). I'll leave you at this point. Good luck in your dreams tonight, my arachnophobic friends.
