Curtain rises on Wolfgang Wagner's last Bayreuth

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

BAYREUTH, Germany (AFP) — Black limousines rolled up Bayreuth's legendary "Green Hill" on Friday as Germany's political and social elite arrived for the gala opening of the annual Bayreuth Festival.

In a glitzy first night of the month-long fest dedicated exclusively to the works of Richard Wagner (1813-1883), German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped the guest list, alongside former German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Bavarian state premier Guenther Beckstein, conservative CSU leader Erwin Huber and head of the opposition liberal party Guido Westerwelle.

This year's festival, the 97th edition, was set to be a special occasion, since it was to be the last season with the composer's 88-year-old grandson, Wolfgang Wagner, at the helm after an astonishing 57...