Even in boo-loving Bayreuth, it's rare that a director receives a reception quite as hostile as this.
The Merkur's Markus Thiel captured the moment that Frank Castorf stepped out on stage after Götterdämmerung. Angry Wagner fans who had been bottling up their boos ever since Das Rheingold were finally free to unleash their feelings. Castorf and his team, seemingly well-prepared for the hostile reaction, stood calmly and faced the fury.
Read reviews in English of the whole cycle on Simon Morgan's blog to find out what provoked the storm.
Just love the word "Boovation"
Posted by: Athenadattor | 01 August 2013 at 04:08 PM
Oh, well, there's far more applause and cheering than you'd imagine from reading all those reviews. I guess people want to hear what they want to hear.
Posted by: Philip Lawton | 01 August 2013 at 06:32 PM
Anthony Tommasini in the NYT didn't think much of it either - and he reckons the booing went on for 10 minutes: (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/02/arts/music/at-bayreuth-boos-and-dropped-jaws.html)
Posted by: Richard Carter | 01 August 2013 at 07:08 PM