1939 Program Book Wagner Festival Bayreuth

BAYREUTH FESTSPIELE PROGRAM BOOK 1939

BAYREUTHER
BÜHNENFESTSPIELE
PROGRAM BOOK WAGNER THEATER
FESTIVAL IN BAYREUTH
1939

As most collectors and historians are well aware, Germany’s 23rd Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, played a very important part in the growth and success of the Festspiele or festivals held each year in Bayreuth to celebrate the universally acknowledged genius of Richard Wagner. Prior to World War II the month-long festivals in Bayreuth grew to be among the most important in all Germany.

The book we offer here is an excellent original example of the Programmheft for the Bayreuther Bühnenfestspiele (Bayreuth Stage Festival) that took place between 25 July and 28 August 1939. The 6-3/4 x 9-3/4 inch, 56-page, very heavily illustrated softcover book is printed on heavy paper and has a center page program showing that it was sold (for 30 Reichspfennigs) for the performance of ,,Das Rheingold’’ (the introduction to ,,Der Ring des Nibelungen’’) directed by Heinz Tietjen, on Saturday evening, the 29th of July 1939.

The heavy booklet begins with a full-page reproduction of the famous portrait of Richard Wagner by Franz von Lenbach followed by a general overview of Wagner’s life and work. There are pages of historical illustrations of costumes and sets for Wagner operas such as the Fliegende Holländer (Flying Dutchman), Tristan and Isolde, Parsifal and The Ring, and a full-page portrait of Tietjen.

There is advertising for Horch automobiles from Auto-Union, the Richard Wagner Memorial Museum, Rosenthal porcelain, Blaupunkt phonograph records, Moritz Mädler luggage, Apollinaris mineral water, Telefunken photographs and even a very rare advertisement for the hotel ,,Der Deutscher Hof - das Haus des Führers in Nürnberg’’ (the home of the Führer - Adolf Hitler - in Nuremberg).

We bought this rare book in Berlin and were surprised to find that it includes a four page insert with the story of “The Rheingold” printed in English, French, Spanish and Italian. This insert makes the book all the more valuable for today’s collectors.

A very, very rare guidebook to an extremely important musical / historical event of the middle of the 20th century. Very good condition. Where would you find another one?

This rare 1939 Bayreuth Wagner Theater Festival program is
**SOLD**

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BAYREUTH FESTSPIELE PROGRAM BOOK 1939

BAYREUTHER BÜHNENFESTSPIELE PROGRAM BOOK WAGNER THEATER FESTIVAL IN BAYREUTH 1939

BAYREUTHER
BÜHNENFESTSPIELE
PROGRAM BOOK WAGNER THEATER
FESTIVAL IN BAYREUTH
1939