This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
This summer, Nathalie Stutzmann, music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, became the second woman ever to conduct at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany, created by Richard Wagner who personally designed the storied opera house, the Festspielhaus.
Many opera fans consider Bayreuth to be the most important destination in the world. And to conduct there is both a paramount distinction and a unique challenge.
Longtime classical music writer James L. Paulk was in Bayreuth to review “Parsifal” and “Tristan und Isolde” for Musical America. While there, he was able to interview Stutzmann backstage at the Festspielhaus about her personal history with Bayreuth, the challenge of conducting from an orchestra pit that’s underneath the stage and the thrill of conducting on such hallowed ground. (Full disclosure: Paulk works as senior annual giving officer at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.)
Stutzmann is conducting five performances of Wagner’s opera “Tannhäuser” at Bayreuth, through Monday, Aug. 28. At her debut performance, she received a standing ovation, something still extremely rare and meaningful at Bayreuth. Her reviews have been similarly positive.
“Such a debut has not been experienced here in a long time,” enthused a critic for the German publication Merkur.de.
Credit: Jorg Schulze
Credit: Jorg Schulze
Q: Let’s start with your personal experience and history with Bayreuth. What does this place mean to you?
A: I am a Wagnerian. I have always been a Wagnerian.
The first time I came here I was 17, attending the Academy for Young Musicians. (Stutzmann attended a special school for young musicians; academic classes ended at noon, and the afternoons were devoted to music.) We got tickets, and I came to all the performances. I heard Hildegard Behrens, Gwyneth Jones and all the big Wagner singers at the time. I was here for the whole summer, and I never forgot the discovery of the acoustics. I was like: “What’s that?”
You know, at this time we had no internet, no Google, no cinemas with surround sound. “Where comes the sound? Where’s the orchestra?” (Note that the orchestra pit here is underneath the stage in a uniquely complex design.) We didn’t know anything. And I never forgot that. I fell completely in love with the place. I always loved the music of Wagner, and it was always for me, as a conductor, the best music in opera.
Then I came back here in the ’90s to do a recording in Wahnfried, (Wagner’s mansion, now carefully preserved as a museum), with Gerhard Oppitz (pianist). I spent three days in Wahnfried, recording (Wagner’s) “Wesendonck-Lieder” and some lieder with French poems that Wagner wrote. We did the recording on his piano. It was fantastic to be back in Bayreuth after the Academy as a “famous” established singer, you know, recording for RCA Red Seal, which was the partner of the festival at that time, so it was very important to me.
And then, 30 years later, I am here! The festival invited me and said: “We would be honored if you would come and conduct ‘Tannhäuser.’” And I said: “Yes!” And my manager said: “Do you have any questions?” And I said, “None.” Because it was a dream. I came, and now I have this incredible artistic alchemy with the Festspielorchestra chorus and soloists of highest level here.
For me, I’m just speechless. I’m in heaven. I did things with my passion, with my love for this music like I always do. It’s instinctive feelings. But I was never expecting to have such a splash!
Credit: Enrico Nawrath
Credit: Enrico Nawrath
Q: How difficult was it to adjust to this infamous pit?
A: It’s crazy! It’s the most crazy thing you have ever done in your life. It’s almost impossible. But what can I say? I was prepared because, like everyone who is interested in Bayreuth, I read books about it. I asked my colleagues and they said, “Oh my God, it’s terrible. You don’t hear the singers. It’s so loud. When you do hear the singers, they are late, but actually they are not late so you have to phone the assistant.” (During rehearsals, assistants in the hall communicate by phone with the conductor.)
When I came here, I did my rehearsals, and we had a very heavy schedule like everyone in Bayreuth, because performing eight operas at the same time means crazy organization. I spent 10 to 12 hours a day rehearsing here for a while. But every time I had one hour, I would observe the rehearsals of my colleagues. I wanted to understand how the pit reflected into this special acoustic. I think for me the only way to survive the Bayreuth pit is to learn how what you are asking and doing in the pit will sound in the hall. Because in the hall, it is extraordinary. I learned a lot just observing my colleagues, listening and going to the pit.
But, of course, when I came to the podium the first time, I didn’t know how I would react because a lot of excellent, top conductors have wrecked very badly and gone away.
Q: Including with your opera.
A: Absolutely! (Laughter.) (Valery Gergiev, who debuted here with the premiere of this production in 2019, was booed loudly, and his performance was widely considered to be an epic disaster.)
And “Tannhäuser” is not one of the easy ones. It was not written for here. (Only “The Ring” and “Parsifal” were written by Wagner specifically for Bayreuth.) But, you know, I am an adventurous person. What can I do? Let’s do your best. And I must say: Maybe I was expecting such a nightmare. Actually, I felt quickly at ease!
I might be wrong, but I think that to do well here you must be an instinctive person. Because it’s just your instinct that tells you what to do. What you have to do here is nothing comparable to what you do in another place. Not symphony concerts, of course, but other opera houses.
I was at the Met, which is a pretty tricky place. It’s very big. I had a real challenge to do Mozart, which is already not my central repertoire, in such a vast space, and it was a big challenge.
But this has nothing to compare. It’s unique in the world. The positions of the musicians are completely different: You have the first violins on your right; you have cellos, violas and contras split in two; you have about 20 meters between five contrabasses and five other contrabasses; and you have this extreme slope. Then you look at the singers and most of the time you think: OK, we are too loud. And you pick up the phone and ask, “Are we too loud?” And they say: “No, you are not.” So you have to learn in a second how to react to what you hear. You have to trust people because you do this and you don’t hear anything.
I spoke with friends and family who have been coming here for 25 years, and they don’t know what we go through!
When people are playing, you become deaf because it’s so loud. You cannot believe it. You have this cover, and it’s not very high, and all this sound is coming to your ears. Sometimes I think I need plugs.
Credit: Jorg Schulze
Credit: Jorg Schulze
Q: It’s famously hot here, but I understand that some sort of ventilation system was added this summer. (The Festspielhaus is not air conditioned. Performances of most operas begin at 4 p.m., and it can be quite hot and humid here in August.)
A: Ha! I think it was because (Christian) Thielemann asked for it. It’s so hot. On hot days, it’s just hell. They installed two little round spots. It’s just enough to avoid that the conductor dies. (Laughter.) It’s crazy. The musicians are in shorts and T-shirts. But they are very careful here. They’re afraid that to change anything would change the acoustics.
Q: You were invited two-and-a-half years ago. How much did you know about the production at that time?
A: Nothing! (Laughter.) (Tobias Kratzer’s “Tannhäuser” production is quite radical, in fine Bayreuth tradition.) When a production is very modern, and they might even boo. And then, after that … they cheer.
But this production has become very popular, and I personally love it. I love the singers. I love the musicians. I’m in heaven.
Note: Paulk reviewed the Kratzer “Tannhäuser” production in 2021 for Musical America, with a different conductor and cast. A link to the review can be found here.
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James L. Paulk is a longtime classical music writer for such publications as ArtsATL, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Musical America. He is also a former state senator.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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