Bayreuth Festival Chorus

The Bayreuther Festspiele Chor, also known as the Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele (Bayreuth Festival Choir), is the chorus that sings at the annual Bayreuth Festival in Germany, held in July and August. This is the opera house that composer Richard Wagner constructed for himself, with the help of Bavarian King Ludwig II as the ideal venue for the presentation of his music dramas. The first Bayreuth Festival was held in 1876, and for this event, vocalists from local singing societies were utilized, although Wagner was less than happy with the result. In the festivals following his death in 1883, a professional chorus from Munich was hired to sing the festival. Beginning in 1887 the policy changed -- the Bayreuther Festspiele Chor, consisting of 120 members, would be shaped from an international pool of singers who would be required to audition for admittance, and a new chorus would be raised from scratch every year. Competition among singers for a spot in the Bayreuther Festspiele Chor is heated, as particularly excellent singers from the chorus are often pressed into small roles in the operas themselves, or in larger ones if there is a cancellation. Due to the unique construction of the opera house in Bayreuth, the choir is invisible unless required on-stage by Wagner's story, and it's not unusual for chorus members to wear ordinary street clothes to performances. The Bayreuther Festspiele Chor has been recording since Bayreuth Festival performances began appearing on record, starting with Parsifal in 1927. The choir seldom performs music by any composer other than Wagner, although when choral works by other composers are given at Bayreuth -- for example, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 -- the singers naturally participate. The Bayreuther Festspiele Chor has appeared at the Bayreuth Festival every year since 1887, except in years when the festival itself was not held due to war or other factors.