The following appeared in London this morning (Daily Telegraph)

   Wagner in twilight as daughter wins Bayreuth battle
   By Toby Helm in Berlin

   AFTER years of family feuding over the succession, the
   great-granddaughter of Richard Wagner was chosen yesterday as the
   next head of the Bayreuth opera festival.

   The appointment of Eva Wagner-Pasquier, 55, by the festival's board
   was a crushing blow to the current director, her estranged father,
   Wolfgang Wagner, 81.

   In a row that has often reached operatic proportions, Wolfgang has
   long made clear his disgust at the prospect of Eva taking over and
   instead proposed his second wife, Gudrun, as a stop-gap until their
   daughter Katharina could assume the reins.

   Wolfgang had argued that neither Eva nor his niece, Nike, who also
   pitched for the job at one stage, were qualified for the role.  The
   two women made very clear that they thought the same about Gudrun.
   Barring further hitches, Mrs Wagner-Pasquier, a former director of
   the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, will take over next year at
   the latest, ending her father's 36 years in charge.

   Silver-haired and steely, Wolfgang Wagner has a reputation for running
   the festival as an efficient business but has been criticised for
   allowing it to become too predictable musically.  The succession war
   reached such bitter deadlock a few months ago that politicians in
   Bavaria and Berlin weighed in, fearing that the bad feeling would
   harm the reputation of the festival.

   They made clear to Wolfgang that, unless he gave in, grants and rental
   contracts on festival buildings could be withdrawn.  There have even
   been fears that the dispute might affect this summer's performance
   of Wagner's "Ring" opera cycle, as some singers have already said
   they will not take part.

   Under Bayreuth's constitution, a direct descendant of the composer
   must take over as director unless the board decides otherwise.

   (D/Telegraph 30.3.01)

John G. Deacon