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Tannhäuser (opera)

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Template:Wagner operasTannhäuser (full title Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg - Tannhäuser and the Singers' Contest on the Wartburg) is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two Germanic legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg. The story centres on the struggle between sacred and profane love, and redemption through love (a theme running through almost all Wagner's mature work).

Composition

The original version

Heinrich Heine had provided Wagner with the inspiration for Der fliegende Holländer and Wagner drew on the same source for the plot of Tannhäuser. Heine's sardonic poem Elementargeister, telling of the lure of the grotto of Venus was published in 1837 in Der Salon. Wagner also drew material from E. T. A. Hoffman's story The Singer's Contest and Ludwig Tieck's 1799 story Faithful Eckhart and Tannhäuser. Wagner wrote the prose draft of Tannhäuser between June and July 1842 and the libretto in April 1843. [1]

The libretto of Tannhäuser combines the mythological element of German opera and the medieval history of French Grand Opera. Wagner brings these two together by constructing a plot involving the 14th century Minnesingers and the myth of Venus and her realm of Venusburg. Both the historical and the mythological are united in Tannhäuser's personality; although he is a historical poet composer, little is known about him other than myths that surround him. Furthermore, half of the opera takes place in a historical setting, and half takes place in the mythological Venusburg.

Wagner began composing the music during a vacation in Teplitz in the summer of 1843 and completed the full score on 13 April 1845; the opera's famous overture, often played separately as a concert piece, was written last.[2] The instrumentation also shows signs of borrowing from French operatic style. The score includes parts for on-stage brass; however, rather than using French brass instruments, Wagner uses twelve German waldhorns. Wagner also makes use of the harp, another commonplace of French opera.

Dresden Premiere

The first performance was given in the Royal Theater in Dresden on 19 October 1845. The part of Elizabeth was sung by Wagner's niece Johanna Wagner, that of Venus by Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, and the title role was taken by Josef Tichatschek. The performance was conducted by the composer. [3] Tannhäuser was not the success that Rienzi had been, and Wagner almost immediately set to modifying the ending, tinkering with the score through 1846 and 1847.

This version of the opera, as revised for publication in 1860 (including some changes to the final scene) is generally known as the "Dresden" version.

The Paris version

Wagner substantially amended the opera for a special 1861 performance in Paris, requested by the French emperor Napoleon III at the instigation of Pauline de Metternich, wife of the Austrian ambassador to Paris. This is the basis of what is known as the "Paris version" of Tannhäuser.

Because the work was to be presented at the Paris Opéra (rather than at the "Théâtre Lyrique" where Wagner had originally hoped the Parisian première would have taken place) the composer was required to include a ballet in the score, according to the traditions of the house. Wagner agreed to this condition since he believed that a success at the Opéra represented his most significant opportunity to re-establish himself following his exile from Germany. However, rather than play the ballet in its traditional place in Act II, he chose to place it in Act I, where it could at least make some dramatic sense in representing the sensual world of Venus's realm.

The changes to the score in the Paris version, apart from the ballet, included:

  • The text being translated to French.
  • A solo for Walther was removed from Act 2.
  • Extra speeches for Venus following Tannhäuser's "Hymn to Love".
  • The orchestral introduction to Act 3 was shortened.
  • The end of the opera was remodelled to include Venus on stage, where before the audience only heard the Venus motif. Wagner thought that prior to the change, audiences were confused about what was happening onstage.

The Paris première

Tannhäuser's first performance in Paris was given on 13 March 1861. The composer had been closely involved in its preparation and there had been 164 rehearsals.

However there was a serious planned assault on the opera's reception by members of the wealthy and aristocratic Jockey Club. They had (in their view) two causes for offence. One was that, the ballet coming in Act I, they would have (in order to view it) to be present from the beginning of the opera. Their custom had been to come in only after Act I of an opera, after previously dining, in order to catch the traditional Act II ballet (and as often as not, to leave when the ballet was over). They also disliked Princess Metternich, who had promoted the performances, and her native country of Austria. Members of the club therefore led barracking from the audience with dog-whistles and cat-calls. As a consequence the opera was pulled after the third performance (24 March 1861). This marked the end to Wagner's hopes of establishing himself in Paris. Fortunately for him, later in 1861 he was able to obtain an amnesty for his involvement in the Dresden 1849 revolution, which had caused his long exile from Germany.

A few further changes to Tannhäuser were made for an 1875 performance of the opera in Vienna, carried out under Wagner's supervision. The 1875 Vienna version is that normally used in modern productions of the "Paris" version.

Wagner remained unsatisfied with the opera. Three weeks before he died his wife Cosima noted in her diary that "He says he still owes the world Tannhäuser" (23 January 1883).

Roles

Premiere October 20th, 1845
(Wagner conducting) 		Paris, 1861
(Pierre-Louis Dietsch)
Tannhäuser, a minnesinger tenor Joseph Tichatschek Albert Niemann
Elisabeth, the Landgrave's niece soprano Johanna Wagner (Wagner's niece) Marie Sass
Venus soprano Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient (Wagner's ideal "woman of the future") Fortunata Tedesco
Wolfram, a minnesinger baritone Anton Mitterwurzer Morelli
Herrmann, Landgrave of Thuringia bass Georg Wilhelm Dettmer Cazaux
Walther von der Vogelweide, a minnesinger tenor Max Schloss Aimes
Biterolf, a minnesinger bass Johann Michael Wächter Coulon
Heinrich der Schreiber, a minnesinger tenor Anton Curty König
Reinmar von Zweter, a minnesinger bass Karl Risse Freret
A Young Shepherd soprano Anna Thiele Reboux
Four Noble Pages soprano, alto
Nobles, knights, ladies, pilgrims, sirens, naiads, nymphs, bacchants;
in Paris version, also the Three Graces, youths, cupids, satyrs, and fauns

Plot

The opera takes place near Eisenach in the early thirteenth century.

Act I

The Venusberg (the Hörselberg of "Frau Holda" in Thüringia, in the vicinity of Eisenach.) Tannhäuser is held there a willing captive through his love for Venus. (Ballet scene; bacchanalian music.) Following the orgy of the ballet, Tannhäuser's desires are finally satiated, and he longs for freedom, spring and the sound of church bells. Once again he takes up his harp and pays homage to the goddess in a passionate love song, which he ends with an earnest plea to be allowed to depart. When Venus again tries to charm him, he declares: "My salvation rests in Mary, the mother of God." These words break the unholy spell. Venus and her attendants disappear, and he suddenly finds himself just below the Wartburg. It is springtime; a young shepherd sits upon a rock and pipes an ode to spring; pilgrims in procession pass Tannhäuser as he stands motionless, and he sinks to his knees, overcome with gratitude. He is discovered by the landgrave and his companions, Wolfram, Walter, Biterolf, Reimar, and Heinrich. They joyfully welcome the young singer, who had originally fled from the court because he was shamefully bested in the prize-singing contest. He initially refuses to join them, but when Wolfram informs him that his song has gained for him the heart of Elizabeth, he relents and follows the landgrave and the singers to the Wartburg.

Act II

 
The Wartburg in Eisenach

Hall of the Wartburg. Elizabeth has been living retired from the world since Tannhäuser's disappearance. When she hears of his return, she joyfully agrees to be present at a prize contest of song, and enters the hall. Wolfram leads Tannhäuser to her; he loves her, but dares not tell her the evil he has done. The landgrave and Elizabeth receive the guests who assemble for the contest, the noblemen of the neighbourhood, who appear in rich attire. (March and chorus.) The landgrave announces the subject of the contestants' songs is to be "love's awakening". Elizabeth will grant the victor one wish, whatever it may be. Wolfram performs first; he declares that love is like a pure stream, which should never be troubled. Tannhäuser replies hotly that he finds the highest love only in the pleasure of the senses. The other singers uphold Wolfram. Tannhäuser replies to each separately, and at last in growing excitement he answers Wolfram with a love song to Venus, and declares that if the knights wish to know love as it is they should repair to the Venusberg. The women, with the exception of Elizabeth, leave the hall in horror, and the knights draw swords upon Tannhäuser. Elizabeth protects him, and since he expresses his penitence, the landgrave allows him to join a band of pilgrims bound for Rome, where he may perhaps obtain forgiveness from the pope.

Act III

The valley of the Wartburg. An autumn scene. Orchestral music describes the pilgrimage of Tannhäuser. Elizabeth, accompanied by Wolfram, falls on her knees in prayer. She asks the returning pilgrims for news of Tannhäuser, but in vain. Once again she prays earnestly and returns broken-hearted to the Wartburg. Wolfram, who loves her with faithful devotion, has a presentiment of her death. (Wolfram: "Song to the evening star.") He sees before him a tottering pilgrim in torn garments. It is Tannhäuser, who informs Wolfram that the pope refused his plea for absolution, and declared that he had no more chance of being forgiven than his staff had of sprouting leaves. Utterly despairing, Tannhäuser is now seeking the way back to the Venusburg and presently calls to Venus, who appears before him and bids him welcome back to her cavern. Suddenly, Wolfram notices a funeral procession descending the hill, and sees the mourners bearing the corpse of Elizabeth on a bier. Tannhäuser races to her side and collapses upon her body with the words, "Holy Elizabeth, pray for me" upon his lips. The younger pilgrims enter and announce that the staff of Tannhäuser, which the pope had ordered to be erected as a token of his damnation, had just sprouted young leaves, a sign that he has obtained God's forgiveness.


Other premières

First performances of Tannhäuser were given in other cities as follows:

"Dresden" version

  • New York: Stadt Theatre 4 April 1859
  • London: Covent Garden 6 May 1876

"Paris" version

  • New York: Metropolitan Opera 30 January 1889
  • London: Covent Garden 15 July 1895


Recordings

 
Paul Cezanne. The Overture to Tannhäuser: A Girl at the Piano, 1868.

There are many recordings of Tannhäuser, some of the most popular being listed below:

References

  • Plot taken from The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz, 1921 version.
  • The New Kobbes Opera Book (11th edition), 1997.
  • Millington, Barry (ed.) The Wagner Companion. London 2001 ISBN 0500282749
  • Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera. Oxford 1979. ISBN 019311318X

Notes

  1. ^ Millington, Barry (Ed.) (1992). The Wagner Compendium: A Guide to Wagner's Life and Music. Thames and Hudson Ltd., London. ISBN 0-02-871359-1 page 281.
  2. ^ Gutman, Robert (1968, revised 1990)Ibid page 103.
  3. ^ Gutman, Robert (1968, revised 1990).Ibid page 104.
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