United Kingdom Avner Dorman, Wahnfried: the beginning of the Wagner cult: Soloists, Refrain and Orchestra of Longborough Competition Opera / Justin Brown (conductor). Longborough, Gloucestershire. 27.5.2025. (CP)
Opening music with slide whistles stunned many within the Longborough viewers at this UK première of Avner Dorman’s ingenious work Wahnfried: the beginning of the Wagner cult. Commissioned by Justin Brown, he requested his librettists, Sarah Nemitz and Lutz Hübner to supply an ‘unWagnerian opera’ the place each act could have an finish. There’s some ‘embedded Wagner’ and people librettists earned accolades on the stage with the composer on the last curtain on opening evening. Such heat applause is from an viewers lots of whom are snug being described as ‘Ringheads’ and content material to be thought-about members of a Wagner cult! Longborough Competition Opera, with the famend Wagnerian Anthony Negus as Music Director, is recognised by many critics as UK’s Bayreuth, however with an absence of the numerous extremely publicised and damaging inside conflicts up on the Inexperienced Hill. These have been reported over many a long time from Wahnfried, Wagner’s lovely house in Bayreuth, till it grew to become a museum, and, then elsewhere, in Bavaria. Little doubt different titles for the manufacturing have been steered – ‘The Saga of the Wagner Household’ would appear applicable.
It’s their work on these conflicts the place Dorman, Nemitz and Hübner have demonstrated bravery in writing an opera about Wagner and Houston Stewart Chamberlain, the British entomologist, race theorist, Wagner fan and Germanophile. Each have been very complicated people, Wagner’s skills gained recognition throughout Europe giving so many audiences many thrills. Chamberlain, who married Wagner’s daughter Eva, grew to become a really influential member of the household. Following memorable performances final yr in Welsh Nationwide Opera’s Demise in Venice and as LFO’s Siegmund, Mark Le Brocq provides an excellent depiction of Chamberlain as a failing bug-hunter, creator of an authoritative tome on anti-Semitism and scientific racism, influencing a younger Hitler and turning into often called Hitler’s John the Baptist.
Bravery deserves reward; this vibrant Longborough manufacturing strikes at tempo due to conductor Justin Brown energising a responsive orchestra led by Darragh Morgan’s violin supporting first-class performances by debut-making soloists, notably, Meeta Raval (Anna and Eva Chamberlain), Edmund Danon (Herman Levi and his ghost), Alexandra Lowe (Winifred and Isolde) and, not least, Susan Bullock as Wagner’s spouse, Cosima, the Excessive Priestess of Bayreuth. Wagner dies early on this story; Oscar McCarthy accepts the formidable duty within the position of Wagner-Daemon, wearing a brilliant inexperienced outfit made well-known by Kermit the Frog. His power is infectious as a clown character surrounded by a circus ambiance which permeates a lot of the 2 acts. Tamzen Moulding performs outstanding acrobatics; she is accompanied by many vaudevillian colleagues sporting brilliant crimson lips and sporting steampunk clown costumes. They’re all over the place as they supply a continuity position.
Co-ordinated efforts by Refrain Grasp James Ham and Motion Director Adi Gortler fastidiously decide the vaudeville ventures to be, at instances, very amusing, while guaranteeing the intense aspect of the story was not forgotten. Signposting by the clowns, paying homage to early cinema days, helps develop the saga which begins in BAYREUTH IN 1882, a yr earlier than the Grasp’s dying and spans forty years. Cosima senses the necessity to protect the nice man’s legacy placing her religion in Chamberlain by way of a deeply transferring duet wherein she reveals the anguish she feels. One other signpost DRESDEN UPRISING 1849 recognized a key side of Wagner’s life as he grew to become outraged on the refusal of the King of Saxony to rule a unified Germany as a constitutional monarch.
Cosima faces setbacks because the infighting for management of the Bayreuth Competition gathers tempo. Lighting Designer Peter Small lends a hand with what should absolutely be deliberate misaligned spot lighting; Designer Max Johns ensures the fragility of the household is just not forgotten with the upcoming hazard of 4 giant Wagner statues falling over; lastly, Costume Designer Anisha Fields ensures members of her burlesque troupe categorical their opinions with the failure to manoeuvre the curtains at essential moments. Have been these first evening points, likely not! Pulling all these controversial issues collectively is Director Polly Graham, now firmly established as Longborough’s Creative Director. This manufacturing is one other success for her. This new opera has an excellent future; Composer Avner Dorman recognises the strengths of Kurt Weill and Dimitri Shostakovich by together with components of each within the rating and he ensures there’s a Götterdämmerung end to the opera. Wagner-Daemon manages a poorly performed theme from Tannhäuser on a toy piano – one among a number of comedian moments – one other, ‘Houston we have now an issue’, greatest forgotten!!
Wagner’s loyalty to his canine is remembered with one refrain member regularly scampering throughout the stage depicting Russ, his black Newfoundland, buried at Wagner’s toes at Wahnfried.
With Polly Graham on the helm, Music Director Anthony Negus again in 2026 to conduct Tristan und Isolde and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg the Cotswolds Wagner cult will proceed!
Clive Peacock
Featured Picture: [front] Mark Le Brocq (Houston Stewart Chamberlain) and Susan Bullock (Cosima Wagner) © Matthew Williams-Ellis
Creatives:
Director – Polly Graham
Designer – Max Johns
Costume designer – Anisha Fields
Lighting designer – Peter Small
Motion director – Adi Gortler
Refrain grasp – James Ham
Solid:
Houston Stewart Chamberlain – Mark Le Brocq
Cosima Wagner – Susan Bullock
Anna Chamberlain / Eva Wagner – Meeta Raval
Wagner-Daemon – Oskar McCarthy
Herman Levi – Edmund Danon
Siegfried Wagner – Andrew Watts
Isolde Wagner / Winifred Wagner – Alexandra Lowe
The Grasp’s Disciple – Adrian Dwyer
Kaiser Wilhelm II / Mikhail Bakunin – Antoin Herrera-López Kessel
Acrobat – Tamzen Moulding
Daniela Von Bülow – Rachael Hughes
Blandine Von Bülow – Cicely-Yishuo Hé
