United Kingdom Avner Dorman, Wahnfried: the birth of the Wagner cult: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Longborough Festival Opera / Justin Brown (conductor). Longborough, Gloucestershire. 27.5.2025. (CP)
Opening music with slide whistles surprised many in the Longborough audience at this UK première of Avner Dorman’s ingenious work Wahnfried: the birth of the Wagner cult. Commissioned by Justin Brown, he asked his librettists, Sarah Nemitz and Lutz Hübner to produce an ‘unWagnerian opera’ where every act will have an end. There is some ‘embedded Wagner’ and those librettists earned accolades on the stage with the composer at the final curtain on opening night. Such warm applause is from an audience many of whom are comfortable being described as ‘Ringheads’ and content to be considered members of a Wagner cult! Longborough Festival Opera, with the renowned Wagnerian Anthony Negus as Music Director, is recognised by many critics as UK’s Bayreuth, but with an absence of the many highly publicised and damaging internal conflicts up on the Green Hill. These have been reported over many decades from Wahnfried, Wagner’s beautiful home in Bayreuth, until it became a museum, and, then elsewhere, in Bavaria. No doubt alternative titles for the production were suggested – ‘The Saga of the Wagner Family’ would seem appropriate.
It is their work on these conflicts where Dorman, Nemitz and Hübner have demonstrated bravery in writing an opera about Wagner and Houston Stewart Chamberlain, the British entomologist, race theorist, Wagner fan and Germanophile. Both were very complex individuals, Wagner’s talents gained recognition across Europe giving so many audiences many thrills. Chamberlain, who married Wagner’s daughter Eva, became a very influential member of the family. Following memorable performances last year in Welsh National Opera’s Death in Venice and as LFO’s Siegmund, Mark Le Brocq gives a brilliant depiction of Chamberlain as a failing bug-hunter, author of an authoritative tome on anti-Semitism and scientific racism, influencing a young Hitler and becoming known as Hitler’s John the Baptist.
Bravery deserves reward; this colourful Longborough production moves at pace thanks to conductor Justin Brown energising a responsive orchestra led by Darragh Morgan’s violin supporting first class performances by debut-making soloists, notably, Meeta Raval (Anna and Eva Chamberlain), Edmund Danon (Herman Levi and his ghost), Alexandra Lowe (Winifred and Isolde) and, not least, Susan Bullock as Wagner’s wife, Cosima, the High Priestess of Bayreuth. Wagner dies early in this story; Oscar McCarthy accepts the formidable responsibility in the role of Wagner-Daemon, dressed in a bright green outfit made famous by Kermit the Frog. His energy is infectious as a clown character surrounded by a circus atmosphere which permeates much of the two acts. Tamzen Moulding performs remarkable acrobatics; she is accompanied by many vaudevillian colleagues sporting bright red lips and wearing steampunk clown costumes. They are everywhere as they provide a continuity role.
Co-ordinated efforts by Chorus Master James Ham and Movement Director Adi Gortler carefully determine the vaudeville ventures to be, at times, very amusing, whilst ensuring the serious side of the story was not forgotten. Signposting by the clowns, reminiscent of early cinema days, helps develop the saga which begins in BAYREUTH IN 1882, a year before the Master’s death and spans forty years. Cosima senses the need to preserve the great man’s legacy putting her faith in Chamberlain via a deeply moving duet in which she shows the anguish she feels. Another signpost DRESDEN UPRISING 1849 identified a key aspect of Wagner’s life as he became outraged at the refusal of the King of Saxony to rule a unified Germany as a constitutional monarch.
Cosima faces setbacks as the infighting for leadership of the Bayreuth Festival gathers pace. Lighting Designer Peter Small lends a hand with what must surely be deliberate misaligned spot lighting; Designer Max Johns ensures the fragility of the family is not forgotten with the imminent danger of four large Wagner statues falling over; finally, Costume Designer Anisha Fields ensures members of her burlesque troupe express their opinions with the failure to manoeuvre the curtains at crucial moments. Were these first night issues, most probably not! Pulling all these controversial matters together is Director Polly Graham, now firmly established as Longborough’s Artistic Director. This production is another success for her. This new opera has a good future; Composer Avner Dorman recognises the strengths of Kurt Weill and Dimitri Shostakovich by including elements of both in the score and he ensures there is a Götterdämmerung finish to the opera. Wagner-Daemon manages a poorly played theme from Tannhäuser on a toy piano – one of several comic moments – another, ‘Houston we have a problem’, best forgotten!!
Wagner’s loyalty to his dogs is remembered with one chorus member frequently scampering across the stage depicting Russ, his black Newfoundland, buried at Wagner’s feet at Wahnfried.
With Polly Graham at the helm, Music Director Anthony Negus back in 2026 to conduct Tristan und Isolde and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg the Cotswolds Wagner cult will continue!
Clive Peacock
Featured Image: [front] Mark Le Brocq (Houston Stewart Chamberlain) and Susan Bullock (Cosima Wagner) © Matthew Williams-Ellis
Creatives:
Director – Polly Graham
Designer – Max Johns
Costume designer – Anisha Fields
Lighting designer – Peter Small
Movement director – Adi Gortler
Chorus master – James Ham
Cast:
Houston Stewart Chamberlain – Mark Le Brocq
Cosima Wagner – Susan Bullock
Anna Chamberlain / Eva Wagner – Meeta Raval
Wagner-Daemon – Oskar McCarthy
Herman Levi – Edmund Danon
Siegfried Wagner – Andrew Watts
Isolde Wagner / Winifred Wagner – Alexandra Lowe
The Master’s Disciple – Adrian Dwyer
Kaiser Wilhelm II / Mikhail Bakunin – Antoin Herrera-López Kessel
Acrobat – Tamzen Moulding
Daniela Von Bülow – Rachael Hughes
Blandine Von Bülow – Cicely-Yishuo Hé