Joseph Calleja, a tenor, has decided not to perform in the lead role of “Parsifal” at the Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Germany. Andreas Schager will take his place. He will be replaced by Andreas Schager.
Calleja, who was set to make his debut in the role, made the decision to withdraw after his doctor advised him due to a persistent throat infection. He expressed regret and apologized to those who were looking forward to seeing him in the opera.
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“Parsifal,” directed by Jay Scheib from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will open on July 25. Some members of the audience will wear augmented reality glasses during the performance. There will be seven shows in total, running until August 27.
Andreas Schager, who previously debuted at Bayreuth in 2016 and performed as Parsifal from 2016 to 2019, will step in to take the role. Schager was originally scheduled to sing Erik in the revival of Tobias Kratzer’s 2019 production of “Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman).” Tomislav Mužek will now replace him in that role.
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The festival will continue until August 28 in the Festspielhaus, the hall specifically designed to Wagner’s specifications and opened in 1876. The orchestra performs from a covered pit during the operas.
