This American saying refers to the final aria of valkyrie Brunhilde, after which the four-part opera “The Ring of the Nibelung” by Richard Wagner finally ends, after a total duration of around 16 hours. Wagner, born in Leipzig in 1813, wrote and composed “The Ring” between 1848 and 1874, and wanted to have it performed in an opera house designed to his specific liking. Financed to a large part by King Ludwig II of Bavaria (who built Neuschwanstein, the Bavarian castle you can find in the Disney logo), Wagner’s “Festival Opera House” was finished in 1876. Ever since then, it has been the site of the annual Bayreuth Festival, which lasts for about one month at the height of summer.
The Bayreuth Festival is the opera event of the year in Germany and it is the place for Wagner lovers from all over the world to attend and to be seen at. Floor-length dresses and tuxedos are the expected norm, even though this tradition seems to fade.
Why am I telling you this? Because this is where my wife and I recently went, both bedizened with new floor-length dresses, high heels and lots of jewelry. At 2:00pm, we left our hotel and headed to the hilltop “Grüner Hügel,” upon which the Festival Opera House sits, and where the performance was due to start at 4:00pm. Around the opera house, there are several restaurants, bars, and food stalls and we had booked an arrangement at one of these restaurants. We had an assigned table, with fine buffet food and a well-stocked bar, all day long – before the performance, during the intermissions and for a night-cap afterwards.
The whole atmosphere was so much fun to experience (again), and even more so en femme: elegant people strolling about the Festival Opera House and its gardens, fanfares on the balcony announcing the approaching beginning of the next act (rather than a mundane bell), classical music, serious acting, dead silence during the performance, happy smiles, and classy Champagne. With temperatures in the late afternoon around 30°C (86 F), sitting in an opera house that lacks an A/C and is filled with more than 1900 people, wearing a floor length dress, is – let’s say, cozy, though.
On the schedule for the day we were in Bayreuth was not a part of “The Ring”, but Wagner’s last major opera called “Parsifal,” which premiered in Bayreuth on July 26, 1882. The opera lasted for six hours, including two one-hour intermissions. There was lots of drama in the story: mystery, intrigue, despair, new beginnings, but also – due to its modern interpretation – lots of femininity and lots of pink in the second act. So much so, that (for those of you familiar with the plot) even Klingsor – and not just the girls in his magic garden – wore a pink suit and red pumps.
You might already know that Franziska’s favorite things to do are travelling and enjoying culture. If you didn’t, I encourage you to read my previous articles “Why I love travelling en femme” https://www.crossdresserheaven.com/why-i-love-travelling-en-femme/ posted on 23 March 2023 and “Why I love opera and ballet” https://www.crossdresserheaven.com/ why-i-love-opera-and-ballet/ posted on 18 August 2023. There will also be more pictures and the full story coming up on Franziska’s “Out and about” blog in a couple of weeks.
This was one of my best days out en femme, not only for setting and occasion, but – in particular – for having been able to enjoy this day out and about together with my wife.
Tell me about your most exciting days out and about en femme! Did you visit any major events? Were you able to pose for a picture in front of the Step and Repeat banner? How did it feel – like being a celebrity? Did it make you seek out other exciting and more daring places or events to visit en femme?
Hi I did try again at your blog and this time it did work so no worries.