The former principal sponsor, Siemens, pulled out of the public screening of the operas on Bayreuth's Marketplace last September. A Facebook page exists, yet seems untended — it mainly reports about ongoing building work. 

Katharina Wagner concedes: "Our main problem is the building. At the moment, style reigns over substance." The critics of the Wagner sisters devour words of such Delphic nature, especially ahead of the anniversary year of 2013 and in light of the fragile balance of power between the Richard Wagner Foundation, owner of the concert hall and the Wagner residence, Villa Wahnfried, and the wealthy Friends of Wagner. They are tapped for the most urgent renovations, which are rumoured to cost about €20 million, yet are often on the conservative side artistically. In their opinion, Bayreuth productions are often too avant-garde and detrimental to Wagner's spiritual inheritance. Is a trade-off between the Wagner sisters and the Friends imaginable — funds for the renovation in exchange for a less brave new Wagner world? In public, the Wagners insist that their artistic freedom is untouchable, as are the ideas of their chosen directors and conductors. 

Bayreuth is proud of its close co-operation with Christian Thielemann, who conducts The Flying Dutchman at this year's opening. Many people, especially the Friends, want an even closer co-operation with him. The Wagners have cast Lance Ryan as Siegfried in 2013 and Eva Maria Westbroek as Isolde in 2015. These are big names. However, it took an extensive search before the anniversary Ring in 2013 was assigned to Frank Castorf, artistic director of the Berliner Volksbühne, who is relatively inexperienced for such a  production, which is nothing short of colossal. Wim Wenders turned them down, while other candidates, such as the film director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (of The Lives of Others fame), were far-fetched. Furthermore, there are still a lot of gaps to be filled for 2013 as far as casting is concerned. 

Not surprisingly, Eva Wagner-Pasquier has been criticised for her very speciality, the choice of artists, and here, too, her inheritance and the unwritten rules of Bayreuth take their toll. Artistic directors and conductors have to arrive for their five or six weeks of rehearsals well prepared and with a concept already in mind. There is little or no room for learning by doing or much creative licence and inspiration once work has started. One Tannhäuser conductor called the circumstances during the run-up to the opening a "suicide mission". The changing line-up of the orchestra is a further burden: the musicians turning up for rehearsals are not necessarily the ones who perform in the late afternoon.