Bayreuth at Riga Opera: Andris Nelsons makes history with a superb concert taking the festival to his country.

This year has been as difficult as previous one. At least for major opera companies, which at last are able to reprisetheir activities now, after one year and a half closed. Bayreuth was among them, and after a triumphal return last July with a radical version of Der Fliegende Holländer. The 2021 Festival was closed with two concerts by the famous Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons, who conducted a magnicent Lohengrin (the famous rat one) between 2010 and 2014. Bayreuth don't usually goes in tour once the festival is ended, and when it did, there were historical events like the 1955 and 2012 tours to Barcelona, Spain. But after the last closing concert, the Festival went on tour to different cities: Essen, Cologne, Paris, and finally Riga, Latvia's capital and Nelsons' homeland, where it offered two concerts in the "Riga Jurmala" music festival.

The program used for this tour, was unlike past tours when complete operas were performed, was the same of the concerts at Bayreuth: selections from Richard Wagner's operas Lohengrin, Parsifal, Walküre (including complete Act One) and Götterdämmerung. Latvian Radio and Television covered the event, with the latter filming the concert of September 3, and telecasting it the following day. Thanks to a friend's VPN, we could watch the concert on his television.

Here is the program for September 3:

LOHENGRIN: Prelude, tenor arias Höchstes Vertraun, In Fernem Land and Mein Lieber Schwan.

PARSIFAL: Prelude, aria Amfortas die Wunde, Good Friday Spell, Nur eine Waffe Taugt.

WALKÜRE: Ride of Walkyries.

GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG: Siegfried's Journey through Rhine, Funeral March, Brünnhilde's Inmolation.

As encore, the Orchestra played Act 3 Prelude to Lohengrin.

The beautiful and luxurious building of the Riga Opera, where Wagner himself worked as principal conductor between 1837 and 1839, hosted the event, with almost full capacity, judging by the photos and the telecast (The website mentioned proof of vaccination was required, but some seats empty each 2 occupied could be seen sometimes). 

In my very personal opinion, Wagner's music only can be felt in all its powerful extension in an operatic performance. However, the symphonic pieces in which the overtures and musical interludes of his operas become when played in concerts, also show the composer's ability to create descriptive, trascendental music which can also be enjoyed by those not very familiar with his complete operas. Nelsons gave splendid renditions with the orchestra, as was expected. The instruments have a beautiful, powerful sound and skilled performances could be heard. Strings are shining, electrifying. Brass section is incredibly majestic. Nelsons' rendition is dramatic, passionate, and also very symphonic. 

The Lohengrin overture had the strings sounding heavenly, with a slow and mystical tempo, recreating the celestial aura of the swan knight. In the Parsifal prelude, Nelsons' tempi made the orchestra to sound majestical, with the bassos producing an astonishing rendition of their tremolo, with the brass section really splendid, both trumpets, flutes and clarinets. The same level was in the Good Friday Music. In the second part, the orchestra gave an energical, apotheosic rendition of the Ride of Walkyries, in which the Nelsons' baton played it spectacularly, as if there was . The Götterdämmerung excerpts were at the same level, in which Brass and orchestrahad their most brilliant moments, with the strings playing a divine, vivid, mysterious, descripting version of the introduction (recreating Dawn) of Siegfried's Journey, turning to play a vivid, joyful rendition of the travel passage, with a mention of the charming glockenspiel. The Funeral March was kind of solemn, and tragical, with the orchestra playing their best rendition of the night, alongside the Lohengrin prelude. Brass and Percussion fusioned in a majestic, egregious, powerful sound, reminding classical renditions like Solti's Ring, even when it went a bit fast in the climatic central leitmotive. The Finale was also beautiful, lyrical, epic, with the strings playing beautifully, with the delicious sound of the woodwind section closing. The concert was closed with Lohengrin's Act 3 prelude, with a rich sound from brass and strings, the latter one very passionate.

Klaus Florian Vogt was the tenor for the singing excerpts from Lohengrin and Parsifal. Vogt's voice sounds beautiful, brilliant, even more than usual, aiming to sound heroical in some high notes, projected a bit like being thrown. In the Lohengrin excerpts he sang marvellously, powerfully (he hasn't to cope with the complete opera, so his voice is fresher). This is his signature Wagner role, and he is devoted in these excerpts. The Höchstes Vertraun was nice, charming, seducting. The famous aria "In Fernem Land" was ethereal, pristine, and he sings in a beautiful pianissimo in words like "Taube", recreating the angelical side of his character. Despite the beauty, here the highest notes are well sung, but here lacking a bit of heroicity. His is a lyrical Lohengrin, more a celestial creature than a brave, comic-like hero. In the "Mein Lieber schwan" he returns to he beautiful piano in the word "befreit", and closed the aria with the voice at its peak. Not the same in the Parsifal arias, however, with the "Amfortas, die wunde" surpassing him, even with volume. His Parsifal wasn't here not as expressive as his Lohengrin. He finished his part singing the final scene "Nur eine waffe taugt", with some beautiful singing regained.

Christine Goerke sang only the Brünnhilde's Inmolation from Götterdämmerung. Hers is an impressive voice, specially in her great low register, very beautiful, and with a dramatic, rounding, dark tone. The high register and notes, sound sometimes nasal. Diction was, however, very good and she gives her concert performance a sense of theater, even she puts herself a ring in some moment of the scene. Her big voice is conveyed with a firm singing.

The following day, September 4, Latvian Radio broadcasted the second concert with a superb Act 1 from Walküre, in which the orchestra gave an unforgettable rendition of the prelude, violent, stormy, reminding the violence and energy of Georg Solti in his legendary recording of the Ring. Vogt sounded again brilliant and lyrical, with a powerful projection, but sometimes troubled in the high notes at the finale. Goerke showed again her superb low register in Der Männer Sippe, but compared to her impressive Brünnhilde, her Sieglinde has a touch of matron-like sound, at least in this occasion. They were joined by Günter Groissböck, who did a well-sung Hunding, but not as dark and ominous as the role requires. Groissböck left the Walküre production at Bayreuth this year, and didn't sing in the closing concerts the Finale from Walküre originally scheduled. Surprisingly, he did it in Riga, in a sensitive, tender and elegiac rendition of the Magic Fire music. The second concert ended with the Ride of Walkyries as an encore.

It is blessing to have TWO telecasts featuring Bayreuth Festival company, because millions of people can attend such a demanded event, with tickets sold out in few minutes and a years-waiting list for get them. In addition, we can see the orchestra, one of the best in the world, constitued by the most skilled German musicians, playing the marvellous music in which they are absolute reference. And we can consider Nelsons' conducting of one of the best referential in Wagner's work today. He did make history in his country with an orchestra he knows well, delighting Latvians, as well as many listeners worldwide.

Here you can listen to the concert of September 3 at Latvian Radio, and here the link to listen the concert of September 4. You have to look the 19.00 hours space, with the names of Nelsons, Bayreuth names. Then, just click "Klausīties" to start listening.

My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.

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