Richard Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen – Pierre Boulez

Patrice Chéreau’s production of Richard Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung for the 100th anniversary of the Bayreuth Festival in 1976 is known as the legendary Centenary Ring. Originally, director Peter Stein had been commissioned to stage the Ring’s centennial; however, negotiations broke down because Stein demanded that the stage and auditorium be rebuilt and refused to meet then Bavarian Prime Minister Franz Josef Strauß at the premiere. Instead, the festival management entrusted 31-year-old film and theater director Patrice Chéreau with the directorship, making him the youngest director (and first foreigner in that position) in the history of the Bayreuth Festival. Musical direction was by conductor and composer Pierre Boulez (with his assistant Jeffrey Tate). Richard Peduzzi designed the set, Jacques Schmidt created the costumes, and Manfred Voss was responsible for the lighting design. François Regnault was engaged as dramaturge. The final performances were greeted with 90 minutes of applause and standing ovations, as well as 101 curtain calls (a Bayreuth record), and Chéreau and Boulez’s Ring production is still considered a benchmark in the history of interpretation of the work.

Blu Ray 5 – Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen, The Making of – A documentary of Chéreau’s centenary production.