Tickets for the commemorative event, which was originally canceled but reinstated following public protest, are expected to become available soon. This event marks the start of the Bayreuth Festival. Katharina Wagner announced in the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the tickets will not be sold, emphasizing that it is a memorial gathering and that “no one should have to pay for it.” While registration will be available, donations are “heartily welcomed, and the more generous, the better.”
The event, titled “Muted Voices,” is scheduled for July 26th, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the festival. Michel Friedman is set to speak about Wagner’s antisemitism and the involvement of his heirs with the Nazi regime, alongside commemorating murdered Jewish musicians. The event had previously been withdrawn citing alleged “security concerns.” Friedman responded to the cancellation by describing it as a “judgment,” stating that cancelling events due to security reasons “is death by suicide in a democracy,” he told the SZ.
Katharina Wagner acknowledged the institutional failures, stating, “We didn’t just have a communication deficit in one aspect. I am deeply sorry for all of that.” As the director of the festival, she is taking responsibility. “I told Mr. Friedman this, and I am very grateful that he accepted this apology.”
The event will now proceed as planned, although without the initially intended conductor, Christian Thielemann. Wagner expects a highly critical presentation from Friedman. “If I only wanted it to be cosy, I wouldn’t have invited him.” She shared that she has been engaging with the controversial legacy of Richard Wagner, at least since her own adolescence, including his antisemitic treatise, “The Jews in Music.” Wagner noted, “If you are part of this family, it is unavoidable to read it, even if it is disgusting.”
