Wagner Society of Scotland & Sir Donald Runicles: Live Festival event and a chance to join friendly society
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It has often been said that there is only one person who has had more books written about him than Richard Wagner – and that is Jesus, according to an Edinburgh society honouring the man and his works.
The controversial, prolific, high-spending, composer and director of dramatic operas and expressive works had a revolutionary effect on Western music.
His works have been performed in the most famous opera houses and theatres across the globe – but audiences are as likely to have heard them through the silver screen, on TV or at a computer, as his compositions have been used in countless films, in cartoons (search YouTube for ' Looney Tunes | Be Vewy Quiet, I'm Hunting Wabbits!), in adverts and even as a tinny ringtone in the early days of mass-produced mobile phones. Perhaps the most famous of these was the use of ‘Ride of The Valkyries’ from Die Walküre, used in several film scores including Apocalypse Now (Search YouTube for 'Ride of the Valkyries' | Apocalypse Now).
Teenagers already love Wagner – they just don’t realise it.
Dr Derek Williams is Chair of the Wagner Society of Scotland and a board member of the 26,000-strong Richard Wagner Verband International (the global federation of societies).
Now there is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about this intense, fascinating, prolific and contentious figure, about his life and his work, in an event showcasing one of Scotland’s most famous conductors, Sir Donald Runnicles, on August 24 at 2pm. Sir Donald is Patron of the Wagner Society of Scotland (WSoS).
Interview and recital
This fundraising event, an interview with and recital by Sir Donald Runnicles, and Thomas Lehman with questions posed by the committee of the WSoS, takes place at 2pm on Saturday August 24, at Greenbank Parish Church, Braidburn Terrace, Edinburgh EH10 6ES, the original Parish of Sir Donald’s family in Edinburgh.
Not only is Sir Donald an internationally renowned conductor with a career that spans Germany, the USA and his native Scotland, where he has been principal conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, he is also an excellent pianist. On the evening before this event, he will be conducting the Orchestra in a performance at Edinburgh's historic Usher Hall.
For the WSOS event, which takes place during the Edinburgh Festival, Sir Donald will also be accompanying baritone Thomas Lehman in a recital. Greenbank Parish Church, which holds 400 people, has a beautiful pipe organ, which will be played before the event begins by the Church's musical director, Maestro Alberto Massimo.
For more information and tickets, which are £25 (£20 for members), visit the WSoS website here.
The Wagner Society of Scotland
The Society, formed in 1984, promotes and explores Richard Wagner's works through monthly meetings with guest speakers, study courses and participation in the Richard Wagner Verband International (the global federation) annual Bayreuth Scholarship during the Festival in Bavaria. Bayreuth is where Wagner settled in 1872 to begin building the Festspielhaus theatre under the patronage of the 18-year-old King Ludwig – a venue where only his works are performed. WSoS is a friendly society, which operates within the framework of the International Wagner Verband (membership of WSoS automatically makes you a member of the RWVI).
There are many great classical composers, but Wagner stands out as being someone who is larger than life. He had larger than life characters in his works and his contributions to theatre and literature set him apart.
Membership costs just £30 a year, and includes access to all talks and events; there are discounts for couples and it is free for students, as are all the events. Find out more, and join via the website here.
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While of course it is possible just to enjoy the music and the spectacle without looking into it further, there is so much more to learn from studying Wagner.
The Society provides monthly talks by leading academics who are experts on Wagner, as well as practitioners such as singers, conductors, and producers. Past speakers have included internationally renowned Scottish Wagnerian soprano Linda Esther Gray, and Anthony Negus who is currently conducting the critically acclaimed production of Wagner's tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen at Longborough Festival Opera.
Oxford University Emeritus Professor Laurence Dreyfus will speak at the WSoS AGM in December on the topic "Wagner and the Erotic Impulse in Munich"; Dr Patrick Carnegy will be speaking about his newly released book Wagner's Theatre - in search of a legacy, and Professor Hans Vaget will present a talk based on his monograph Richard Wagners Amerika. Professor Vaget's book is currently available only in German, so this will be a rare opportunity for English speakers to access this research.
The Society now has members from around the world which makes for interesting discussions. All its meetings are available online, and face-to-face meetings (which are also hybrid) always include a wine and nibbles reception afterwards, giving members the opportunity to socialise with the speaker and with each other.
About Wagner
Richard Wagner, who was born in 1813 in Germany, was a scholar, a writer, a thinker, a socialist revolutionary, as well as one of the most influential composers of all time, also writing essays and books, many of which have influenced literature and art. Although his work is multi-layered and has sparked countless views and interpretations – as has his life and lifestyle – it remains accessible and enjoyed by young and old, finding new audiences all the time. Wagner died in Venice in 1883, leaving a rich legacy of work.
Read more about him, about the society and future events at the Wagner Society of Scotland website here.