Cosima Wagner, daughter of Liszt, widow of Richard Wagner

1876-1976: 100 Years Bayreuth Festival: 100 years ago on August 13th, 1876, the Bayreuth Festival was opened for the first time. Richard Wagner ran into big debts to open this house, which was unlike any other theatre of the time. The auditorium resembled a Greek amphitheatre, the stage was fit for quick set changes, the newest thing however, was the fact that the orchestra could be lowered under the stage, making it invisible to the audience and at the same obtaining a perfect acoustic effect. Richard Wagner however, was not satisfied with the result of the first Ring performance in 1876 and stayed away from Bayreuth for the next six years. In 1882 Parsifal was first performed there, After the death of Richard Wagner in 1883, his widow Cosima took over the running until 1906. She was followed by her son Siegfried and his wife Winifred. After World War Two, Richard Wagner's grandsons Wieland and Wolfgang started the festival again. Wieland Wagner died in 1966 - since then his brother Wolfgang leads the Bayreuth Festival at the Green Hill alone. Photo Shows Cosima Wagner (daughter of Franz Liszt) who led the Bayreuth Festival from 1886 to 1906

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Acoustic Amphitheatre Auditorium Bayreuth Changes Cosima Debts Effect Fact Followed Grandsons However Invisible Leads Lowered Newest Obtaining Parsifal Quick Resembled Result Satisfied Siegfried Stayed Unlike Wieland Winifred

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