Back home. Being a little bit exhausted after 10 days of academic conferences, I have to admit. But: after more than 45 papers later I am also very happy I did this. Not only this trip, but also trying to put together this global Wagner enterprise in the first place. 
Cultural phenomena in musicology are very often dealt with mainly from a historical angle. But culture also shapes all kind of spaces. Not only we experience spaces through culture and its history, but cultural spaces as countries, cities, and also the globe define themselves through the arts: as there is pop culture, literature, theater and classical music. The last topic of my conference blog from Bern: spaces as/for culture.
As Peter Hagmann wrote in his review of Marthaler’s Handel pasticcio “Sale” at the Zürich Opera house on November 6 (Neue Zürcher Zeitung): to him, this production was not so much a night on Handel and Marthaler but more an evening on Zürich and Marthaler. Meaning that the town of Zürich as a cultural but also as an economic space inspired this production maybe more than Handel’s music did. I was always fascinated with the “if”-question. 
Karol Berger’s brilliant paper on Saturday brought one up. He discussed the ending of “Meistersinger” within a fascinating range from formal analysis to the content of the opera and to its broad cultural-political context. The paper also made people think and ask: “what if Wagner would have come up with a different solution for this ending?” My own “if”-question relates to the cultural space topic. What if Wagner would have been successful in Paris? What if “Rienzi” in the 1840s would have been staged at the Académie Royale de la Musique? And this very successfully? The answer: there would be no Bayreuth Wagner Festival, no “Ring des Nibelungen”, no “Meistersinger”, no Music Theater Studies at Bayreuth University, no WagnerWorldWide project … But maybe: the model of French Grand opera would have been further developed and would have become the most important model for opera globally. Maybe, there would be the “Institut National Wagner” (founded in 1872), and also the “2013 Paris PACuG”; standing for “2013 Paris Projet d’Arts de la Culture Globale”. A gigantic arts festival including and celebrating contemporary music and theatre, the movies, but also sports, education etc. Being made possible by national funds and celebrating Wagner the cosmopolitan French. I know, a silly idea. But the example might illustrate: Spaces do create culture
both on a national and global level. There were many papers at the Bern conference looking at spaces for/as culture: the stage, the orchestra pit, the auditorium, the opera house, the town, the region, the country, the globe; but also more concrete: the  Palais Garnier in Paris, Calcutta, Italy, Prague, London Russia, Poland and so on. Today in our everyday cultural life we are used to global phenomena as World Music, Holly- and Bollywood. All being art forms relevant to the world. Historically, Opera was one of the first art forms
being truly global. 
The conference was finished with a podium discussion. This brought together three representatives looking at the Wagner year from a more practical perspective: the general manager of Geneva Opera House and opera director Tobias Richter, the dramaturg and head of the Opera and Music department at Bern Theater Xavier Zuber and journalist Peter Hagmann, whom I mentioned above. My question to all of them: what can we expect from the Wagner year 2013? Tobias Richter is preparing a “Ring”-production for Geneva. He made it very clear, how important it is to make sure this work (and all of Wagner’s work) is prepared carefully with a lot of time. Peter Hagmann is looking forward to especially the musical aspect of Wagner performances in 2013, pointing out that the predominance in the newspapers on the visual aspect takes away the focus from the music. Xavier Zuber’s idea for an innovative way of dealing with globalisation and Wagner is quite futuristic. But the future is not too far away. There will be another Wagner year rather soon, that is in 2033 to commemorate 1883, the year when he died. He suggests a WorldWide production of the “Ring”, each part being introduced at a different cultural space throughout the globe. Here is a list of possible places: “Rheingold” in Abu Dhabi, “Walküre” in Bejing, “Siegfried” in Manaus and “Götterdämmerung” in Bern 2033. Or where ever Xavier Zuber will be at that time.
This blog is to be continued end of January 2013, from Columbia, South Carolina for WagnerWorldWide:America. Please stay tuned!

My first blog on the Bern conference was on identity and culture. This one deals with the public sphere, the publicity of opera and Wagner research. I know. A much too big topic for a blog. But the format makes it short.
What would Wagner ‘be’ as a phenomenon, if we would not write about him? An interesting thought: What kind of an existence would he and his work have, if there were no publications on him, just the performances? Christine Lemke-Matwey in her article in Die Zeit “Ekstasen mit viel Rosenwasser” (October 4, 2012, link below) also picks up on Wagner. She is looking at the academic outcome of the anniversary so far. She herself is somehow also writing on Wagner, but not exactly. She is writing on the people who write academically about Wagner; as I am writing about Lemke-Matwey who writes about the academics who write about … Her main point: Wagner studies is going in a cercle, and she is right; my point: We all participate being part of that circle. Sometimes – sure – this seems redundant. But sometimes this is fruitful and – also – fun. 
Let’s take another look at our conference again. First of all: It is amazing how information we know about transforms into something else once we create a new ‘case’ around this. As Daniel Jütte did with his talk on the German-Jewish reception of Wagner in the late 19th century. Second: Press, PR and also academic and general communication is basic to both the distribution and the politics of information. There were quite a high number of papers at the conference looking at 19th century press as a central instrument to shape up the relationship between identity and opera. In many cases these articles in the contemporary newspapers were more important than the actual outcome of reception within opera performances itself. Journalists took a great part in creating 19th century national discourses. This was done more and more on an international platform. Benjamin Walton showed in his paper: Not just the fact that a Rossini opera was performed in Calcutta makes 19th century opera more international than before. But the circumstances, how it was proudly communicated worldwide, gave culture a new kind of existence, which was a global one. 
The Wagner circle and the circus around Wagner studies will be also serving the book market (which could be actually much smaller than people assume right now …). There is a very high number of new books on Wagner already being published now. And, there is also a high number of old books on Wagner being either updated or just published again. And there is even a book being published before its event should have created it (I know…). The main Wagner conference next year in Leipzig scheduled for the birthday week of may already prepares for its proceedings now. The book will be out at the conference. There will be more of this next year: Other books on Wagner including more Wagner encyclopedias (one being edited by Nicholas Vazsonyi, host of WagnerWorldWide:America next year at the University of South Carolina).
And finally: www2013 wants to be part of the circle (and trying to avoid the circus aspect of this…), meaning: We will be presenting the results of our enterprise as well creating two or three volumes on WagnerWorldWide. That is more stuff being written on Wagner, on Wagner scholars and journalist, and also on Wagner performances and Wagner art.

http://www.zeit.de/2012/41/Richard-Wagner-200-Geburtstag-Literatur

This is my second trip within the www2013 project. In that sense: this is also my second trip ‘to’ Wagner, so to speak. I feel like not only travelling to the places but also to the cultural phenomenon within the places. Each time Wagner becomes something different: Wagner in China, and Wagner in Switzerland now, in November 2012.After China and WagnerWorldWide:Asia, I yesterday arrived in Bern for WagnerWorldWide:Europe organized by Arne Stollberg, Ivana Rentsch and Anselm Gerhard. This is exciting. Sure, this is the same globe (I am not on Mars…), but still: this seems like a whole different ‘world’ here. Bern is a very pretty, friendly and beautiful small town, and much calmer than Shanghai, the busy metropolis of the 21^st century; different people, different foods, different energy etc. I flew in yesterday from Berlin where I attended a conference on music in Prussia. That was a good prologue to the Bern conference and its topic: “Wagner and Opera between Nationalism and Globalisation”.Is it possible and does it make sense to talk of “Prussian” music? What does “Prussian” music sound like? I myself at the Berlin conference gave a talk on Gaspare Spontini and his opera “Agnes von Hohenstaufen”. This composer was born Italian, became French under Napoleon and started to engage himself with German national opera in the Prussian capital of the 1820s and 1830s. He was covering with his life quite a bit of the European world at that time as it can be considered a typical 19^th century bio of a composer. Richard Wagner was born in Saxony, tried to compose operas for Paris, where he failed. He went to Switzerland, and finally ended up in the upper Franconian province. Not quite as international as Spontini, but still also very European. Spontini’s opera “Agnes”, by the way, was not accepted to be a national opera. Culture in the 19^th century wants to construct identity, especially national identity. In that sense, Spontini and the official Prussian cultural politics of his King Friedrich Wilhelm III. also failed. Culture and opera tried to make people feel good to “be” something: either Prussian, Italian, French, German or even a combination of those. One major topic of the Bern conference is to ask, how aspects of national culture were constructed within different European spheres and how these relate to other concepts as globalisation or transnationalism. Not only the term national opera was used in the 19^th century but also – in a similar way – the term of world opera. Giuseppe Verdi for example was very proud that his Italian operas were performed – almost – all over the places. The national and the global met in the 19^th century. Jürgen Osterhammel introduced both categories in the first paper of this conference as instruments to analyze 19^th century culture, also asking: “Was ist Welt?” (“What is World”)? ‘World’ is also something being represented by its achievements. The Bavarian ‘world’ of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, as Osterhammel showed, became global because of three phenomena (or ‘products’): that is BMW, that is Siemens and that is – last but not least – Richard Wagner. Wagner the ever changing cultural phenomenon may be looked at from two sides here, that is production and reception: As somebody who engaged himself with representing ideas with national impact as in “Die Meistersinger”; and as somebody who is still identified by his audiences as specific German (or Bavarian…). Identities may shift.Is Wagner – by now – part of a global culture?

Sunday, June 24

In the air. On LH 729. Going west, back to Germany. Exhausted, but happy with all new kin of impressions, academically and culturally. Sometimes I am not sure what kind of an impact we are able to make as academics in the humanities. Especially if we are constantly asked to produce ‘numbers’: in Euros for extra financial support on research or in new students coming to our university. But after my China experience it seems clear how important it is to do the work we are doing: to connect culturally. And not only commercially. Finding ways of communicating with each other is so important. Wagner with his critique of an alienated world is a good medium for this exchange with China. The intellectual and emotional connection to Wagner and his work is big in the East and the West. The general curiosity on both sides amazing. In that sense Wagner is truly universal being able to bring people together with different cultural backgrounds. Yesterday I had my sightseeing day in Shanghai. A warm day, cloudy, with a lot of humidity and rain. My first impression: Other cities of that scope seem to be so dated compared to this… I am getting a quick glance on that hungry and shiny surface of a modern world with all its lights, fancy skyscrapers, high rise freeways, expensive stores and hotels. This is fascinating. But it also leaves a somewhat strange taste at the same time. China here is so much about money. As my friend pointed out the first night at dinner, smiling at me with some slight traces of disgust in his face. Now I understand better what he was referring to. The day before my sightseeing experience at the conference made me believe again that it is important what we are doing in the humanities. Danny gave an excellent talk on Carl Dahlhaus, my first academic teacher in Berlin in the 1980s. She and I agree: Dahlhaus’ work is still amazing, since he connected all kind of historical, aesthetical and cultural information to our field of interest: music. Truly modern in that sense. As for him there are translations available of his books in Chinese by now, which is great. They help to connect. Rémy Campos and Aurélien Poidevin talked about their recent historical reconstruction of the Paris “Meistersinger” production of 1897. Their talk demonstrated that the shift from the Wagner version of the Munich premiere in 1868 to this version done in France at the end of the 19^th century (and its recreation) is quite a big one. The staging of Wagner became somehow its own leitmotif at that conference. One of the questions brought up after my own talk that day on the history of the Bayreuth festival referred to this as well: Will there be some kind of a Chinese version of the “Ring” soon? And what would that look like? The conference was ended with a very lively final discussion. Sitting at tables and facing each other, this was the most stimulating part of the conference. We were discussing topics which had not been touched yet. And somebody suggested – it was meant to be more of a joke – to combine Chinese Opera with Wagner. I ask myself right now: why not? With all of this we missed Nicholas Vazsonyi’s presence in China. The planned presentation and workshop on “Meistersinger” would have been extremely relevant within the context of the other talks and the general topic of how to stage Wagner in the 21^st century. I am very glad I did all of this, and I am looking forward to more cultural encounters between the East and the West. In December 2013 we hope to be able to welcome our new Chinese friends in Thurnau. The big city will be replaced by a remote countryside and the venue of the conference, the castle of Thurnau, could be covered with snow. Another place, another time: helping us to shape up another perspective on Wagner.

Thursday, June 21

The conference in Shanghai starts this morning. It is taking place in the newest building of Shanghai Conservatory which is only a few years old and very well equipped. The class room is full of people: mostly the speakers of the conference and also lots (!) of students. There are film cameras set up, and many photos are shot during the whole day. Opening addresses are being given. Than we take a picture outside of the building with everybody posing in front of the blue conference poster which has all the information on the event. The next thing will be my own presentation: an introduction to WagnerWorldWide. Danny is helping out with the Chinese version of my paper. And again I have a good feeling talking and being translated. She is doing a great job. There is that very quiet and concentrated atmosphere to be observed in the room, but – again – because of the ‘indirect’ communication, it is hard to tell what people think. But this time too, as in Huangzhou: after my talk, there are lots of questions. And, we have time to get to talk. Professor Yang wants to know my personal areas of research which are linked to the five topics. There is an interesting question on the general situation on German musicology today, how the discipline contextualizes the areas of research we are dealing with. Another question is: Are there specific ways of looking at Wagner in the academic reception to be distinguished in Europe depending on the national point of view? All of this shows the wide range of interest. As also do the papers of this first conference day. But despite the fact that there are a lot of different areas of interest being tackled in these papers, I would like to point out a couple of special topics where Chinese scholars seem to focus on: one is Mythology and the other one is Wagner’s Antiquity reception. The famous music critic and head of the Wagner Society China Liu Xuefeng reflects on options of directing Wagner today. He uses his huge treasure of performances he experienced in Europe and elsewhere. According to him Wagner’s work could be looked at as ‘not perfect’ – while the music actually is. Which makes me think: that could be the reason, why Wagner still stimulates all these different new approaches. Exactly the creative impulse he brings out is probably his major legacy. Professor Tao Xin from Shanghai conservatory delivers a brilliant analysis of Robert Carsen’s “Ring”-production from Cologne opera house which was performed at the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010. As I hear, not everybody liked this interpretation. But the wide range of opinions on this and the arguments to prove these opinions seem as diverse as in Europe. There can be no doubt: the appreciation for Wagner, the knowledge of Wagner and the critical thinking on Wagner is tremendous in this country.

Wednesday, June 20

Today was temple and travel day. Hangzhou is a Buddhist center to China. In the morning Jessica took me to the Lingyin Temple area which is a major tourist attraction and also – at the same time – a place for worship. People come here to pay their respect to Buddha. They also communicate their wishes to Buddha in front of one of the statues. Jessica teaches me, how to do this. Thinking of a Buddhist temple one might imagine a quiet place which (hopefully) provides some time you have for yourself and do some thinking or mediation. But people come her as well just to visit the site as tourists. So, the place is packed. Mostly with Asians. It is the first time that I am realizing I must be exotic to them. The site is extremely busy and it is one of the most important temples in China. We got to experience a service with chanting, which was lovely. More ‘musical’ entertainment was delivered some time later. We took a walk along the beautiful Western Lake, a romantic place in the middle of the city, a huge lake surrounded by forests, gardens and mountains, with little bridges all over the place and many love stories related to it. We sat down in one of the little hats on the lake and watched a little boy. He was probably 1 ½ or 2 years old and wearing these special shoes, which, as Jessica told me, are quite common in China. They help to let parents know, what they children are doing, whre they are. The boy was of that age where he seemed still fascinated by himself with the fact that he was able to walk around. With each tap he was doing, the shoes would make a funny noise: like if you pushed the belly of one of those plastic ducks. Walking and running in all kind of different styles created its own music in a John Cage like manner. For the ride home we used one of those high speed trains. China here is so perfect, like a clock work, which the German rail could use as a model.

Tuesday, June 19

Arriving with the car at the place where my first lecture is going to take place, I got almost got knocked out! At the gate: ‘I don’t believe my eyes’, as we say in German (and maybe not in English…). Right after the entrance where the car comes in, there is a little square with trees and lot of greenery. On top of this – to my complete surprise – I see that big, long red banner with Chinese characters in yellow. These characters are framing my own name to be found in the middle which everybody can see entering the school that day: “Anno Mungen”. What a welcome with the announcement of my being at the Music school that day. The Music school at the University of Hangzhou is beautiful. The buildings are situated in a campus which looks like a garden. It is quite hot today. The doors of the practice rooms are left open. I love that cacophonic sound experience of coincidence: some piano playing here, some opera singing there, and a chorus somewhere else in the far background. The campus has a nice concert hall as well as a gym, a sports field, dormitories and other buildings. Students strolling along, greeting us. They must be realizing that this peaceful village-like school is not a bad place to study music and musicology. What a great and almost perfect situation. The idea of 1905 peace nobel prize laureate Bertha von Suttner of a festival of education for the 21^st Century replacing or extending the Wagner festival idea comes to my mind. This is my example I will be finishing my lecture on the Bayreuth festival this afternoon. The Musicology department is part of the school, and Professor Yang Jihua invited me to talk in front of his students. Jessica is translating my paper in little sections. She does an excellent job. At least that is my impression. Being translated this way is a new experience to me. Only a few of the students seem to understand my English. It feels a little strange to be not able to get in touch with them directly through my speaking. But, as the questions they are asking after my talk indicate: it did work. These question also prove the general appreciation for the topic. Theoretically I knew this before, but now I can feel it for the first time in this class room full with Chinese students in their late teens and early twenties: Wagner seems a big deal in this country. A very big deal.

Monday, June 18

Another line from a song: “Shanghai, ach was bist Du alt…”. I remember the recording I had with the German chanteuse Ingrid Caven who sang that song so beautifully. About the old Shanghai. The first impression once you arrive here is different. The airport, ultra modern, nice and clean, a big city, skyscrapers, Manhattan-like. Nothing seems old. Danny and Jessica, two musicology PhD students from the Conservatory, picked me up at the airport. Very interesting talks in the cab with the two. Danny is writing her PhD on Carl Dahlhaus, my teacher at Technical University of Berlin in the late 80s. They pointed out on our taxi ride into town, that Shanghai is not as Chinese as many other places in this country. Used to big cities I feel comfortable though. This is one of the global advantages of this world where one can feel “home” very easily. My first taste of China offers the nice lunch for which Professor Yang joins us. What a great welcome and more interesting conversations on our music and cultures. My second taste of China is the fact that I got lost. A cab driver drops me off at the wrong place. I have no idea where I am. A little confused with my phone in the one hand and the little note my hotel wrote down for me in the other, I approach the locals. My little adventure: Everybody is very sweet. What I get is a lot of nodding and smiling but no sense of direction. My friend with whom I am supposed to have dinner with gets on my cell phone and explains the new taxi driver where to go. To a nice modern restaurant overlooking the river. It works. With the result of more wonderful Chinese food! Getting comfortable for work this first day was not bad at all. No Wagner business for me in China yet. But tomorrow. My first lecture of this trip which will be taking place at the University of Hangzhou. Going to sleep now. The train leaves at 9.00 o’clock.

Sunday, June 17

“All my bags are packed … “. The famous line from the John Denver song pops into my head. Sitting on my suitcase and waiting for the flight to leave. Off to China, this late afternoon from Frankfurt, on LH 728. So exciting. Years ago when I started the initiative WagnerWorldWide I was not sure where this would be heading. I did send out many emails to a lot of people all over the world asking: Are you interested in a collaborative academic project on Wagner for the anniversary 2013? I got many answers. But not all of the email conversations would go on. Some did. With Professor Yang Yandi and Shanghai Conservatory for Music the communication will be taken to the next level now. Which is wonderful. I will meet with him and all the people who prepared for this trip and I have been emailing with over the last months tomorrow. Finally. In China, a country which seems so far away. I kept saying to my friends: It feels more like going to a different planet. Having no clue about the language (which just looks so beautiful), never been there before, and not knowing too much about Chinese culture anyway. As somebody who academically specializes in European Music and Opera, I realize how narrow our perspectives are. On the other hand: How much information and stimulation are we able to consume and to work with in these times of endless knowledge and communication through phones, the internet, travel etc.? Anyhow. One goal – for sure – of this project is to extend our horizon in times where cultures are growing closer together. Richard Wagner, composer, writer, philosopher and traveller, the phenomenon we are dealing with in this project, gains the quality of a medium, a medium to stimulate communication. Between Bayreuth and China. I guess, I do know one thing about Chinese culture: This language must be so very very difficult to learn. Fortunately we will be having English, which is great.  Still, I was taught my first Chinese lesson yesterday. My Chinese friend Changfeng who lives in Germany taught me one expression: SUI YI. That’s what people say when they toast to each other. The expression implies that you are not supposed to finish your drink, and meaning: Follow your thoughts. That is nice. Sitting on my suitcase, getting hungry, I am starting to look forward to my Asian vegetarian dinner in LH-coach, combining this with a nice little bottle of German air white, taking little sips and let my thoughts wander: SUI YI…