Wahnfried: The birth of the Wagner cult

What happens to an artist's work after their death? Who controls the narrative?

This opera begins with the death of Richard Wagner and spans forty years of history. We witness the Wagner family's determination to construct the myth of the composer, their brutal infighting and their disturbing political affiliations, reflecting the wider crisis in German politics in the first three decades of the twentieth century.

This major new opera by the Israeli-born composer Avner Dorman, with a libretto by acclaimed German playwrights Lutz Hübner and Sarah Nemitz, will receive its UK premiere at Longborough in 2025. The world premiere was presented alongside the Karlsruhe Ring in 2017 and was nominated for a prestigious International Opera Award in the Best New Opera category.

Musically, Dorman’s sound world has affinities with Kurt Weill and Dmitri Shostakovich. Biting satirical writing gives way to lyrical arias and powerful choruses, while the action is propelled relentlessly forwards by the virtuosic percussion-heavy score.

It will be conducted by Justin Brown (Die tote Stadt 2022), who commissioned the opera as the Music Director of Karlsruhe State Theatre. Longborough’s production will feature a cast of leading British singers including Susan Bullock CBE as Cosima Wagner, and Mark Le Brocq as Houston Stewart Chamberlain, and will be directed by our artistic director Polly Graham.

Sung in German and English with English surtitles

Tickets open for public sale on 10 March 2025. 

Ticket Prices: £230, £210, £185, £160, £125 (£75 restricted view)