Stephan Mösch releases new history of the Bayreuth Festival

Stephan Mösch has released a comprehensive new book titled ‘Bayreuth als Theater’ (Bayreuth as Theater) to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Bayreuth Festival. The work aims to provide a nuanced, multi-perspective history of the festival, moving beyond the polarized debates often surrounding Richard Wagner.

Utilizing 20th-century theoretical models and new primary sources—including unpublished letters from the Wolfgang Wagner estate—the book examines the complexities and shifts in meaning at the ‘Green Hill’. Mösch explores the roles of key figures such as Cosima Wagner and Wolfgang Wagner, seeking to present a sophisticated historical account rather than a simple chronological retelling.