Intermezzo

Watch Bayreuth opener live(-ish)

German channel ARD is streaming tonight's Der fliegende Holländer from Bayreuth, with a short delay. The broadcast begins at 22.15 CET, which is 9.15pm in the UK.

To my great surprise, at the time of writing, I am able to watch ARD online from the UK.

The Bayreuth programme may end up being blocked in the UK for rights reasons as they usually do, but it's worth a try. If it disappears, you can still listen on the radio.

Warm up with the Hippolyte et Aricie live stream from Glyndebourne at 6.15pm (and on demand afterwards).

Free Wagner tonight

The Bavarian State Opera are streaming Der fliegende Holländer live from Munich tonight at 20:00 CET (7pm UK).

This is the notorious Peter Konwitschny production I saw a few years ago, which fills the second act with spinning bikes.  Asher Fisch conducts a strong cast:

Daland Peter Rose
Senta Anja Kampe
Erik Klaus Florian Vogt  
Mary Okka von der Damerau  
Der Steuermann Norbert Ernst  
Der Holländer Johan Reuter

Swiss Welsh Dutchman in London

Der fliegende Holländer - Oper Zürich - Royal Festival Hall, 15 December 2012

As they've done a few times before, Zurich Opera interrupted their home schedule to bring a concert version of a current show to the Royal Festival Hall - orchestra, singers and all.

This time round, it was their new production of Der fliegende Holländer.  Both London houses have tackled it recently. Neither managed, with all the costumes, curtains and furnishing items at their disposal, anything nearly as thrilling as Zurich gave us with a bare stage  - and a few top-class singers.

Bayreuth's replacement Dutchman has a tattoo

OK, it's only a fake one.

But as these rehearsal photos show, Bayreuth's replacement Dutchman Samuel Youn has been made up with a map-like tattoo on the side of his head. Has anybody checked his chest?

Bayreuth Flying Dutchman - first photos

Never mind the singers, what about the sets?

It looks as if director Jan Philipp Gloger has saved the Bayreuth Festival a few bob with those cardboard boxes. His new production of Der fliegende Holländer premieres today at 18.00 CET (5pm UK) - listen to it live here. 

"Nazi symbol" singer kicked out of Bayreuth

It seems not everyone cares for Evgeny Nikitin's tattoos, as pictured in the post below.

Just five days before the premiere of the new Bayreuth production of Der Fliegende Holländer, Festival management have sent him home after taking exception to an alleged Nazi symbol on his upper body.

Looking at a recent photo of Nikitin (above), it's hard to understand what the problem is.

But an older shot, taken during his days as a heavy metal drummer (below) gives a clue. Beneath what is now a colourful coat-of-arms lies something that looks like a swastika - in other words, an embarrassing mistake that he's now covered up.

Whether this is indicative of Nikitin's current or past political opinions is something only he himself could confirm.

But his tattoos have never been any secret. He has sung in all the world's major houses, including Covent Garden and the Met, and nobody to my knowledge has ever complained about them or suggested that he holds any unsavoury beliefs. Of course the tattoos are generally covered up for aesthetic reasons, but in some productions he has openly flaunted them. Thousands of people have seen them. No-one has said anything.

Bayreuth's sudden decision is bizarre. Not just because it appears to relate to a problem that no longer exists. And not just because the evidence was available long before they booked him. It's bizarre because Bayreuth have actively centred pre-production marketing around ....Nikitin's tattoos.

You can see the TV interview which allegedly alerted Festival management to the problem here. A brief section (lifted from this old video) shows the younger Nikitin barechested at the drums.

Nikitin's parting shot: "I did not realise how much irritation and injury such signs and symbols could cause, particularly at the Bayreuth Festival. I had these tattoos done when I was young. It was one of the great mistakes of my life and I wish I had never done it."