Would you pay 77 dollars for a live Richard Wagner video?

Written on 2nd July 2008                                                                                                              4 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief

The prestigious German Bayreuth opera festival might be based on the works of a man who died in 1883, but the organizers sure adopt their annual celebration of Richard Wagner to new technologies. The opening performance of “Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg” will be live broadcast with streaming video and audio. A logical move, as Wagner lovers have to wait seven years or more to obtain a ticket. According to Associated Press writer Patrick McGroarty, there’s one “catch” though – the price of 77 dollars.

Panorama of Bayreuth

The New York’s Metropolitan Opera and Milan’s Teatro alla Scala have already offered high definition theatercasts in recent years, but for a lower price. Usually, access to the stream was priced around $24. So it’s not surprising that the AP writer thinks the price for the five-hour opera is somewhat high.

I do think that I have a solution though. I’d like to invite opera lovers to follow the new technologies as well. Why wouldn’t they connect via Opera Meetups or blogs like Mostly Opera, to organize viewings where people can gather to watch the masterpiece? This will save them money, and their ‘bravo’s’ and ‘brava’s” won’t go unnoticed.

bayreuth, germany, music, opera, richard wagner, video stream

4 Comments »