Nature and Sentiment

Wagner's 'Ring' at the Tyroler Festspiele Erl
impresses GIUSEPPE PENNISI

Whilst every summer a crowd of Wagnerians ascends the 'holy hill' of Bayreuth in Northern Bavaria, an equally important group of Wagnerians descends from the heights of the Alps to the green valley of Erl in that small part of Austria entering Southern Bavaria along the River Inn. There, the Tyrol Festival, created and animated by Gustav Kuhn, challenges Bayreuth with about one tenth of the public money provided to the 'holy hill'. M&V has been reporting on the Tyrol Festival almost every year because of its innovative approach and the lessons other theatres may learn.

This year, the most important feature of the Tyrol Festival is the production of three cycles of Richard Wagner's daunting Der Ring des Nibelungen...

RICHARD WAGNER

DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN

AUSTRIA

ANDREA SILVESTRELLI