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One does not come to know works of art when they are complete;

One must catch them in the act of becoming,

To comprehend them at all.

Goethe.

OUR EVENTS DURING THE FESTIVAL

The WAGNER Salon at the Wolffenzacher

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Rainer Fineske: Patrone, Verbände, Freunde – die Unterstützer der Bayreuther Festspiele

WAGNER Salon im Wolffenzacher

11.08.2026, 10.00 – 11.30h, DEUTSCH Rainer Fineske, langjähriger Präsident des Richard Wagner Verbandes International, über die verschiedenen Gruppen, die die Bayreuther Festspiele möglich machten und möglich machen.

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Konrad Winckler: Riga, Rienzi und wie Wagner Europäer wurde

WAGNER Salon im Wolffenzacher

12.08.2026, 10.00 – 11.30h, DEUTSCH Riga prägte Wagner: das dortige Theater kann als Vorbild für Bayreuth betrachtet werden. Jetzt wird es wieder hergestellt. Konrad Winckler berichtet über die Renaissance dieses authentischen Wagner-Ortes. https://vagneriga.lv/de/

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Richard Laing “Richard Wagner in London”

WAGNER Salon im Wolffenzacher

15.08.2026, 10.00 – 11.30h, ENGLISH

#COUNTDOWN1876

Today 150 Years ago

The road to the first Bayreuth Festival in diary entries and letters.

The first Bayreuth Festival took place on August 13, 1876. The road to get there was rocky, full of setbacks. At that time Cosima and Richard built a theater, a house, chased money and raised 5 children. Both had extensive correspondence and Cosima wrote diary entries almost every day.
Oh yes – and Richard orchestrated the Götterdämmerung…

August 7th.

Diary of Richard Fricke

At 10:30 I went to Wagner’s. He received me extremely agitated, but also joyfully moved. We went into the dining room and drank a glass of wine. He looked at me and drummed his fingers against his forehead. — What was going through the master’s mind? He gradually recovered. I had to go with him […]

Monday 7th (7th August, 1876)

Cosima Wagner Diaries

The rehearsal of Walküre before an audience, the acoustics are thereby improved as a result. There is much abuse with the tickets. 8th and 9th also public rehearsals, R. constantly with the King; on his departure, R. believes he detects a certain displeasure; the King forbids all ovations, yet nevertheless seems surprised when they do […]

August 6th.

Diary of Richard Fricke

The king had arrived during the night. From Bayreuth he went directly to the Eremitage. Wagner had been waiting for him at the station, traveled with him, and stayed with him until 3 a.m. without any court officials. This morning, the city, adorned in its finest, saw the top officials and the mayor travel to […]

Sunday 6th (6th August, 1876)

Cosima Wagner Diaries

Several arrivals, including that of the Prince of Liechtenstein; cheerful luncheon, in the evening, dress rehearsal without audience; the King also summons me to him and says that surely I had never doubted that he would remain faithful to us. The rehearsal goes very well. A great illumination for the King and cheering.

Sunday 23rd (23rd July, 1876)

Cosima Wagner Diaries

Great delight in Lusch, who has grown considerably. I paid several visits with her. In the evening, several guests. Amidst all this, great vexation. Without informing R. of it, the Administrative Council announces a public rehearsal at the price of three marks. R. is beside himself.

Friday 14th (14th July, 1876)

Cosima Wagner Diaries

Various vexations; the Ducal Palace is using the question of Frau von Schl.’s accommodation as a reason to behave rudely towards us! … In the afternoon, rehearsal of “Rheingold” — Herr Niemann present, and ‘gracious’, as I teasingly tell him. We remain after all at the restaurant, because R. wishes to ‘devise’ something with Brandt so […]