What's Opera, Doc?

According to the Telegraph. the opera crowd in Bayreuth is up in arms over the current production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

"The great-granddaughter of the composer Richard Wagner was jeered and booed after staging one of his operas complete with nudity, giant plastic phalluses and "raining" shoes."

Family politics are playing their part in the affair:

....Katharina (Wagner) is locked in a three-way battle with fellow Wagner scions Nike and Eva, both 62, for control of the festival. A directorial triumph could have in effect crowned her as successor to her father, Wolfgang, 87, the current festival director.



I must admit not being overly familiar with Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Opera is an acquired taste. If we're going to love it we have to start young. It has a lot to do with our early education. I've got my favourite arias like everybody else but Bugs and Elmer managed to get their Wagner innovations done and dusted in the space of a few minutes.

Seven hours would be way too much. Our local bookseller in West Linton is over at the festival in Bayreuth right now and I'm eager to find out if he was one of the booing purists or not.