Fascination Wagner

That Wagner's "incomprehensible magic" did not come entirely out of nowhere is demonstrated by our opera evening, in which the inspirations are also named and presented. There are works by Carl Maria von Weber, Vincenzo Bellini, and Hector Berlioz. What the Viennese music writer Eduard Hanslick wrote about Richard Wagner in 1911 depicts the (not entirely unproblematic) personality of this composer, which we can no longer experience. However, we are still captivated by the "hypnotic power" of his music in the 21st century and willingly succumb to its fascination. Our opera evening shows that Wagner's "incomprehensible magic" did not come entirely out of nowhere, as the inspirations will be named and presented: A direct path leads from Weber's "Euryanthe" to "Lohengrin," and a comparison between Berlioz's "Faust" opera and Wagner's "Faust" overture will prove to be extraordinarily enlightening. Wagner's enthusiasm for Vincenzo Bellini is little known, but a number from his "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" will demonstrate how deeply the Italian bel canto composer influenced the aesthetics of the German music dramatist. The concert takes place in cooperation with the five-year project "RIWA 26," initiated by Prof. Dr. Stephan Mösch at the Karlsruhe University of Music (2021-2026). The occasion is the 150th anniversary of the Bayreuth Festival. However, the project, which operates at the intersection of artistic and scientific research, is not about serving Wagner. Instead, he is used as an opportunity to pose questions – Wagner not as a monument, but as a stimulus for thought. In this concert, professors will sing together with outstanding students from the HfM Karlsruhe, creating a fascinating, sonorous, and highly interesting event – more than just a hint of Bayreuth in Heilbronn!