Could the Bayreuth Festival's untested multimedia production of Die Walkure (The Valkyrie), to be performed at Emirates Palace Wednesday and Friday, represent the way forward for opera in the internet age?
It is headline-worthy already that the 100-piece house orchestra of Richard Wagner's famous opera house will make a rare international engagement in the city. It performed at the same venue in 2008 – the ensemble's second show outside Europe in 120 years.
But amid the historical hubbub and banner names – Stephen Gould and Daniela Kohler voice Siegmund and Sieglinde, respectively – the most noteworthy feature of the concerts has been somewhat overlooked.
The full five-hour performance will be accompanied by an all-new, specially commissioned, live-action film that may never be screened again.
You do not need to be a hardened Wagnerian to know that such a stunt is likely to ruffle the feathers of traditionalists, but could it also provide a new avenue for opera, an outreach to hyper-aware millennial audiences?
Opera for the 21st Century?
Opera is a costly business and, for logistical and budgetary reasons, it is not uncommon for famous works to be staged as audio-only "concert" versions that feature live singers on stage and an orchestra performing the complete score, without the drama, costumes, stage sets or spectacle. That is particularly the case with Wagner, whose 10 mature operas are lengthy and grandiose epics.
But this production of Die Walkure promises to inject the adrenalin and tragedy of a blockbuster through director David Kasperovski's accompanying film, recounting the five-hour saga in real time. Live actors play out Siegmund's battle with Hunding for Sieglinde, and god Wotan's banishment of meddling daughter Brunnhilde.
This surprise turn represents the reversal of a trend. More and more symphony ensembles and concert halls are boosting their seasonal turnout by staging live orchestral accompaniments to classic Hollywood films – such as The Godfather and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, screenings coming to Dubai Opera in February and March, respectively.
Abu Dhabi Classics' production flips this concept on its head, giving the stages back to the canonical composers they were built for, while injecting fresh, fidgety audiences with the visceral excitement of film. And, in this Game of Thrones climate, the outlandish gods and dragons that inhabit the fantasy world of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle – of which Die Walkure is the second and most popular of four chapters – seem to be the place to start.
New voices, new approaches
Such an approach might only be possible under the direction of Katharina Wagner, the German composer's great-granddaughter, who has spent the past decade modernising his work for younger and more diverse audiences.
"This is a big thing," says Wagner, 40, who oversaw Kasperovski's direction. "It's a real movie telling the whole story of Die Walkure, which is just bizarre – it's like, you hear what the singers are singing and then you see it in the movie."
There are no plans to screen the film in the traditionalist haven of Bayreuth in Germany, and neither are there any plans to take it to other cities, nor film other operas. But Wagner acknowledges that if the production proves to be successful in Abu Dhabi, the concept could be emulated
in future.
"If the people want it, we will see how it works, but we're pretty convinced," she says. "The movie has some very dramatic pictures, so probably it will work. I'm excited because it's another way of making a show – and the only way you can see it is by travelling to Abu Dhabi."
Wagner – who is also the great-great-granddaughter of composer Franz Liszt – took over as co-director of the Bayreuth Festival in 2008, following the retirement of her father, the renowned opera director Wolfgang Wagner. One of her first steps was to start hosting casual, free, outdoor screenings of Bayreuth's famously well-heeled performance, and to present condensed, hour-long children's versions of Wagner's epics.
Both steps were divisive among opera enthusiasts, many of whom part with thousands of euros every year to keep their beloved Bayreuth afloat. Indeed, tickets are priced on a sliding scale from 10 euros (Dh42) to 416 euros, but customers typically have to apply annually for a decade or more for the chance to get their hands on them, while priority goes to patrons and donor members of the Society of Friends of Bayreuth.
Tickets for Abu Dhabi's concert, priced between Dh200 and Dh1,195, may be a steal by comparison, although the aural experience at the fabled Bayreuth Festival is something of a once-in-a-lifetime honour.
There’s no place like Bayreuth
Founded by Richard Wagner and named after its host town, the Bayreuth Festival may be classical music's most renowned annual spectacle, with close to 60,000 opera fans descending on the modest Bavarian city every summer for five weeks of Wagnerian operas.
Legendary composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Anton Bruckner, Edvard Grieg and Liszt attended the 1876 performance of Das Rheingold, which inaugurated the Bayreuth Festspielhaus – the 1,925-capacity theatre Wagner commissioned to accommodate his large orchestras and ornate sets – where the festival continues to take place.
"It's always a misconception that [Wagner] expected Bayreuth to be like this – he didn't want it to last so long," says his great-granddaughter. "But it still lives and that's a miracle.
"In Bayreuth you have the special acoustics. It is a unique place, but it also has a unique, special orchestra, so why not bring it to other places, too?"
How might that orchestra adapt to the multi-purpose Emirates Palace Auditorium? "Well, we'll see. Our orchestra is very good and we have a very good conductor, and I'm pretty sure we will solve this problem."
A new generation of Wagner
Katharina became the sixth direct descendant of the composer to take stewardship of Bayreuth when she assumed duties in 2008 alongside half-sister Eva Wagner-Pasquier, who stepped down to leave Katharina full control in 2015.
"There's nothing worse than lukewarm. When they bravo or boo, something happened to them. And that means the whole experience means something."
Her reign has not been without controversy. Other than her free screenings and condensed productions, Wagner's 2007 Bayreuth directional debut, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, was met with widespread booing, and her productions continue to divide critics. "The level sinks and sinks," declared online German news website inFranken in an end-of-decade wrap last summer.
But she remains undeterred. "If you have a position that is public, it's normal that people love you, or criticise you," she says. "If you can't stand that, you shouldn't have a public position. More or less, the people are pretty happy, and that's why we do it. So, if they're happy, I'm happy."
But are they happy? It is still not uncommon to hear booing at Bayreuth – including at a 2015 production of Tristan and Isolde attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "It's very common in Germany to boo – normally it never happens that you don't have some boos," says Wagner. "I have had performances at other houses where people would just clap and go out very soon. But if they boo or bravo, you've somehow got their emotions, they are into the piece they see.
“There’s nothing worse than lukewarm. When they bravo or boo, something happened to them. And that means the whole experience means something.”
The Bayreuth Festival’s Die Walkure takes place at Emirates Palace Wednesday and Friday at 6pm. Tickets from Dh200 and are available at www.ticketmaster.ae
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
THE%20SWIMMERS
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Fixtures
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
