Theater Review
Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg Opera by Richard Wagner
05.02.05
This is the first Wagner Opera that I've heard / seen. It was a slightly shortened version though,
lasting, with two intermissions, four hours. I personally felt indifferent to the removing of... what
ever was removed; If it would have been a bit shorter, I would not have noticed, no more than I would
have if it had been a little longer.
Before I start in with a list of things that I didn't like about it, let me say that the overall
impression that I had was a decidedly good one: That the music was enjoyable, and at places sublime.
Now... starting with a little pre-history. It was decided a couple of days before that I'd be going
there with Pamela, while her parents used their two season tickets. Well, this mother of hers, has
frequented the theater for years, I believe. And she'd heard that I didn't understand everything in
Virginia Woolf, (which I'd seen with Pamela a week ago.) So, on her own initiative, she'd printed out
the complete libretto to Tannhauser, in German and English, as well as a synopsis of the opera, and a
biography of Wagner, and other related materials. -And then dropped them all off in my post box...
without any explanatory note or name attached to them.
This caused me a little confusion, but I could only think of one possible person who'd have done
that, so (not unlike Sherlock Holmes,) I decided that the one possibility, no mater how unlikely, must
be the truth. (And so it turned out to be, too.) So, the whole point of that was to say that I'd read
the libretto from end to end before going to the Opera. And so, although there was rather little of
the sung German that I understood, I knew who all the characters were, and what the meaning was of
each song they sung.
Now then, starting with the first act: It was all set in... somewhat modernly; That is to say that
the costumes were of a more modern cut, and certainly not 14th Century Europe. The sets were an
exercise in minimalism, which I find did not assist the Opera, but neither did it subtract from the
effect. In the role of Venus, was my dear friend Margo, and I thought she performed the role
admirably; In her movements, were constant seduction, and sensuousness, without being actually crass.
Ah, and there was one moment, of perfect symbolism, that will take some explaining to get across.
There was a Giant statue, lying across the stage, broken into five pieces: the head, torso, hips, and
both legs, of a Greek statue of Venus, (or some other womanly god.) And at one point, while
Tannhauser was singing, Venus was lying there right over the crotch of the statue, wearing her red,
luxurious dress, and framed by long black hair. And it was the perfect view of the mysticism, and the
deification of womb, and the female fertility.
The most boring music happened to be in the first act. It was the dialogue between Venus and
Tannhauser, which went back and forth between them, and had... little melody to it, and I felt was
not... a part of the composition, but simply a way of telling a part of the story.
The Shepherd, who is sitting around singing a song about the spring, (Kirsten, another friend of
mine,) was divine. So, I thought that it would be... an excuse to have another nice song in the
Opera. -Rather like the way that so many ballets have... a Ball, or a couple of Guest dancers coming
for entertainment, or some social Dance; Just another excuse to put a nice dance in it. Well, this
Shepard was integrated into the opera a little better than that. She sang her song, which had nothing
to do with the plot, or the characters, and could only be said to set the scene a little bit, and
suggest a rural area in the spring. Then though, she goes on to sing... to add her song into the
fabric of the song of the Pilgrims, (who had a wonderful piece to sing.)
The second act was in the Palace, (the same minimalism sets, with the Statue now taken away, and a
few chairs added.) I don't remember any special points about this. There's only one general
impression: That it was all... not very special, until Tannhauser offended everyone so badly that the
Ladies all left the hall. From THEN on, the music was moving, and powerful. It was even better than
at the end of Act one, where the seven minstrels were singing together, (and that sounded superb.)
And in this long half of act two, which sounded so good, one of the heart-piercing moments was when
all the men were singing, about how awful Tannhauser is, and how he should be slain for his sins,
that Elisabeth, (The other Lead Soprano in this Opera, And the tragic Heroine of it,) sings out, over
all the men, just a couple of words, and then her own melody. It was supreme. It was incredible. It
was... very good.
I suppose though, that in the midst of this act, which I liked so much, there was more... of that
simple trick I spoke of earlier: the beginning of the Second act was a Song Competition, to see who
could sing the best song about the Nature of Love. (and so, there's a song, and another song, and
another one... )
Third act... started with a somewhat long overture, and then got down to the dramatic, and the
tragic. The Choir, as Pilgrims again, have stunningly nice music, and Then Elisabeth's realising that
Tannhauser is lost, was the most emotional part of the Opera for me. I was surprised to see her then
suicide on stage: because in the Notes that I read, I understood that she would simply exit the stage
alone... and figured that she... "Died of a broken heart." -and not of two slit wrists.
Hmmm... I can not think of other things at the moment, and I should be heading to the theater for
my rehearsal.
If I haven't made it clear yet, I think that the strongest asset of this Opera was the chor, which
were often, if not always... (what adjective have I not used yet?) wonderful.