original manuscript of Die Feen to King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The manuscript was later given as a gift to Adolf Hitler, and may have perished with him in flames in his Berlin bunker in the final days of World War II. A draft, in Wagner's hand, of dialogue he wrote to substitute for some of the opera's recitatives, is in the Stefan Zweig Collection at the British Library. Performance and recording history Die Feen was premiered in Munich on 29 June 1888 with a cast including several singers who had created roles in Wagner's later operas. It is the only Wagner opera that has not been recorded for broadcast television or video. There are some audio recordings, the one with the best known performers being a live performance conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch as part of the celebrations of the centenary of the composer's death. On 11 April, 2020 the Vienna State Opera streamed the performance of the children's version from 3 March, 2012 conducted by Kathleen Kelly on the internet as part of their free offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The English premiere was in Birmingham on 17 May 1969 and the American concert premiere was at the New York City Opera on 24 February 1982. In 1981 Friedrich Meyer-Oertel staged Die Feen at the Opernhaus Wuppertal. In 2009, the opera premiered in France at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The US staged premiere was held by Lyric Opera of Los Angeles on 11 June 2010, conducted by Robert Sage at the Pasadena Playhouse. Roles Synopsis Act 1 While other fairies amuse themselves in a fairy garden, Zemina and Farzana discuss how their mistress Ada, a half-fairy, has renounced her immortality to spend her life with Arindal, the mortal whom she loves. The fairy-king has set a condition which Farzana believes that Arindal will not fulfil even with the help of the magician Groma. Nevertheless, they get the other fairies and spirits to pledge their help in separating Ada from the mortal. In a rocky wilderness Morald and Gunther meet Gernot. The former pair have been sent to find out what has happened to Arindal, who disappeared eight years ago. In the meantime his father, the king, has died from grief and the kingdom is being attacked by their enemy Murold who demands they surrender Arindal's sister Lora as his wife. Gernot relates how he and Arindal had