Overview
- The Münchner Opernfestspiele premiered Tobias Kratzer’s new production of Wagner’s Walküre on June 26, 2026, centering a filmed Walkürenritt that shows the Valkyries riding through Munich landmarks into the Staatsoper.
- The video provoked loud laughter and scene-applause from the audience, but several critics said the clip felt visually striking yet insufficiently integrated into an otherwise mostly classical staging.
- Vladimir Jurowski and the Bavarian State Orchestra drew praise for orchestral color and emotional force, while reviewers raised specific concerns about slow tempi and moments that undercut musical dramatic drive.
- Nicholas Brownlee’s Wotan received strong, consistent notices for vocal power and presence, while other principals earned mixed reviews for tone, clarity and role fit.
- The production is presented as the middle installment of Kratzer’s narratively linked Ring, with Siegfried planned for October 2026 and Götterdämmerung in 2027, and it has drawn public praise from Bavaria’s arts minister Markus Blume.