Bayreuth Festspielhaus

Germany is famous for its opera houses. One of the most recognized opera houses in the country is the one dedicated to the performance of Richard Wagner’s operas. The Bayreuth Festspielhaus, built north of the town of Bayreuth, is the exclusive scene for the annual Bayreuth Festival. In fact, the opera house was built to host the said event. The building was constructed under Wagner’s supervision. Wagner was inspired by the design of the Gottfriend Semper and used it as the Bayreuth Festspielhaus’s design foundation.

It was first opened on August 13, 1876. The first opera performed on the Bayreuth Festspielhaus was the Der Ring des Nibelungen, or the Rings of the Nibelungs, which is a four-opera cycle. It was performed from August 13 up to August 17, 1876. One of the best features of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus is what Wagner calls a “mystic gulf” which gives the audience the impression that the stage is farther away than it usually is. This reinforces the mythic and mystical content in most of the operas by Wagner. Most conductors claim that performing in the Bayreuth Festspielhaus is the greatest challenge in their career because of the opera house's interior design. The orchestra pit is hidden under the stage and covered with a hood making it hard to synchronize the orchestra with the singers.