9. Beyreuther Festspiele, Pierre BoulezDer Ring Des Nibelungen
I went to Beyreuth [in Northern Bavaria] three times to see The Ring Cycle. It was fantastic. Pierre Boulez was conducting, and I love his way of getting to the music and conducting; he’s very clear and analytical, though his compositions are another thing entirely. I’ve heard Der Ring conducted by five or six different conductors, and the differences are huge. Boulez is my preference; I’m really touched by his version, and by Georg Salti’s too. I recently heard a part of the Ring performed by the National Chinese Theatre where everything was perfect, but it didn’t seem to have that German soul to it. It’s something I know well, and it has taken up a lot of time in my life to get to know all these versions.
