| Main Performers | Amalie Friedrich-Materna,
Babette Waibel,
Elisabeth Exter,,
Friederike von Sadler-Grun,
Georg Unger,
Herr Carl Hill,
Herr Chandon,
Max Schlosser - vocals |
| Orchestra or Band | Wagner Festival Orchestra (180) |
| Choirs | Bayreuth Festival Vocalists |
| Conductors | Richard Wagner,
Hans Richter,
Dannreuther |
| Set List | Tannhauser:
Overture: (Wagner Festival Orchestra),
Grand Scena: 'Venus and Tannhauser' (Amalie Friedrich-Materna, Georg Unger, Wagner Festival Orchestra),
Wolfram's first Song at the Contest of Singers (Carl Hill, Wagner Festival Orchestra),
'Elizabeth's Prayer' (Friederike von Sadler-Grun, Wagner Festival Orchestra),
'Wolfram's Song to the Evening Star' (Carl Hill, Wagner Festival Orchestra),
INTERVAL
Die Walkure:
'The Ride of the Valkyries' (Orchestra, Wagner Festival Orchestra),
'Scena from Act II' (Amalie Friedrich-Materna, Georg Unger, Wagner Festival Orchestra),
'Grand closing scene, Act III' (Amalie Friedrich-Materna, Carl Hill, Wagner Festival Orchestra) |
| Royal Presence | HRH The Prince of Wales,
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh,
HRH Princess Beatrice the Marchioness of Lorne |
| Performance Notes | The set list for this concert was changed to suit the wishes of HM Queen Victoria, who had intended to be present, and at whose wish the 'Tannhauser March' was repeated. (The Observer, 13 May 1877)
The Prince of Wales was attended by Major Russell and Mr Holzman.
This series of eight concerts was originally scheduled to comprise of just six, but two subsequent 'Farewell Concerts' were later added to the booking at the approval of the Hall's Council. The initial six concerts, to be held between 7-19 May, were arranged via Mr Hodge and Mr Essex, the London agents for Richard Wagner, at a rent of £500. The Hall's Manager subsequently let the Hall for two additional concerts at a rent of £45 and £50. The Hall's Council minutes record that, '...the concerts had proved a financial success to the promoters and artistes.'
Wilhelmj was the concert master and Richter and Dannreuther were the rehearsal conductors. Soloists were from the Bayreuth Festival and included Frau Materna, Frau von Sadler-Grün, Fraulein Babette Waibel, Fraulein Elisabeth Exter, Herr Unger, Herr Hill, Herr Chandon and Herr Schlosser. It was intended that Wagner should conduct selections from his operas during the first half of each concert, with Richter taking over after the interval, however Wagner was intimidated by the size of the Hall and found himself unable to manage during the rehearsal. In the event Wagner actually only conducted the first item of each programme. After that he handed his baton over to Richter and sat in a large arm chair on the corner of the stage for the rest of each concert. The public were not impressed and it was necessary to add two further concerts at reduced prices, with artists and orchestra accepting half salaries in order for this Wagner Festival not to be a complete financial disaster.
George Bernard Shaw reported that the Wagner conducted a vast and clumsy orchestra of about 170 players with the air of a man, who hoped he might never be condemned to listen to such a performance again. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1877/2) |