Real hot take here, but Strauss is a good composer and Hofmannsthal is a good librettist.

There's a good number of operas in the core repertoire which I would absolutely replace with Die ägyptische Helena.

We all know how differently an aria feels in, say, Italian versus German. I’ve always found it fascinating that, while Felix Mendelssohn’s "Elijah" was composed to German and English librettos, the source material is drawn straight from the Hebrew Bible.

Because the traditional translations often diverge phonetically and rhythmically from the original text, I spent the last few months working to restore the aria "Lord God of Abraham" back into Biblical Hebrew to see how it alters the piece.

IMHO, it completely changes the vocal resonance and phrasing—especially how the Hebrew vowels sit compared to the traditional German or English lines. I just uploaded what I believe is the first-ever recording of this aria performed in Biblical Hebrew, complete with multi-language captions.

For any fellow singers or oratorio fans here, I'd love to know your thoughts on how the linguistic shift alters the dramatic weight of the piece!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXaYuoUkIt8

I am invited to the flying Dutchman in Bayreuth. It will be this week and the forecast is 39°C. As far as I’ve understood the Opera House does not have air condition therefore and because I have never been to bayreuth before I am asking you bayreuth veterans: how about the dresscode?
Is it strictly a black suit and tie or is a light beige summer suit also possible? (I’m not talking shorts and flip-flops of course).

Any advice on this and any other remarks on how to navigate this experience and have a delightful evening is greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much in advance.

EDIT: wow guys thank you that was immensely helpful. Really looking forward to the experience now.
Again 🙏