Bayreuth Festival

Bayreuth, Germany, is home to this annual festival devoted to the performance of operas by Richard Wagner. Wagner launched the festival in 1876 to showcase a variety of German music and did not intend for his compositions to be the focus. The event was plagued by financial problems in its early years, but survived through state intervention and the support of influential Wagnerians, including Ludwig II of Bavaria and Adolf Hitler. Who did Hitler beg—unsuccessfully—to lead the festival? More… Discuss