BAYREUTH, Germany (AP) — Less than 41 hours after his final bows for singing the title role of “Lohengrin” at Munich's Bavarian State Opera, Piotr Beczała was 150 miles (241 kilometers) away at the Bayreuth Festpielhaus for a different production of the same Wagner opera.

Wagner’s roles are among the most punishing in classical music, and breaks of two or three days between performances are customary to allow for vocal recovery. Beczała earned thunderous ovations on Wednesday in Munich and Friday at Bayreuth.

“I was a little under pressure because Christian Thielemann is coming back to Bayreuth for this production," the 58-year-old Polish tenor said, citing his desire to please the conductor. "We did it in 2018 and '19 so, yeah, I agreed with this crazy schedule.”

Limited rehearsal time

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