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Tannhäuser (opera)
Encyclopedia
Tannhäuser is an opera
in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner
, based on the two German
legends of Tannhäuser
and the song contest
at Wartburg
. The story centres on the struggle between sacred and profane love and redemption through love, which is a theme running through most of Wagner's mature work.
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. Hoffmann's story The Singer's Contest and Ludwig Tieck
's 1799 story Faithful Eckhart and Tannhäuser. Other possible sources include the 15th century folk ballad Das Lied von dem Danheüser and Ludwig von Bechstein's collection of Thuringian legends Der Sagenschatz und die Sagenkreise des Thüringerlandes. Wagner wrote the prose draft of Tannhäuser between June and July 1842 and the libretto
in April 1843.
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 Venusberg ('the mountain of Venus'). 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 Venusberg.
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. 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 instrument
s, Wagner uses twelve German waldhorn
s. Wagner also makes use of the harp
, another commonplace of French opera.
The first performance was given in the Royal Theater in Dresden on 19 October 1845. The composer Ferdinand Hiller
, at that time a friend of the composer, assisted in the musical preparations for the production. The part of Elizabeth was sung by Wagner's niece Johanna Wagner
; Wagner had intended to premiere the opera to mark Johanna Wagner's 19th birthday on 13 October, but she was ill, which forced its postponement for six days. Venus was created by Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient
, and the title role was taken by Josef Tichatschek
. The performance was conducted by the composer. 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.
, requested by the French emperor Napoleon III at the instigation of Pauline von Metternich, wife of the Austria
n ambassador to Paris. This revision forms the basis of what is now known as the "Paris version" of Tannhäuser.
Wagner had originally hoped the Parisian première would have taken place at the Théâtre Lyrique
; however since the work was to be presented at the Paris Opéra the composer was required to insert a ballet
into 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 by representing the sensual world of Venus's realm. Thus in Tannhäuser the ballet takes the form of a bacchanale
.
The changes to the score in the Paris version, apart from the ballet, included:
However, there was a serious planned assault on the opera's reception by members of the wealthy and aristocratic Jockey Club
. Their custom was to arrive at the Opéra only in time for the Act II ballet, after previously dining, and, as often as not, to leave when the ballet was over. They objected to the ballet coming in Act I, since this meant they would have to be present from the beginning of the opera. Furthermore, they disliked Princess von Metternich
, who had promoted the performances, and her native country of Austria. Members of the Club, therefore, led barracking from the audience with whistles and cat-calls. At the third performance on 24 March, this uproar caused several interruptions of up to fifteen minutes at a time. As a consequence, Wagner withdrew the opera after the third performance. This marked the end to Wagner's hopes of establishing himself in Paris, at that time the centre of the operatic world.
, carried out under Wagner's supervision. These included linking the end of the overture to the start of the opera proper. The 1875 Vienna version is that normally used in modern productions of the "Paris" version, often with the reinstatement of Walther's Act 2 solo. 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).
on 18 January 1853, the first performance abroad;
in Prague
on 25 November 1854 at Theatre of the Estates; in New York
on 4 April 1859 at the Stadt Theatre, the first performance in the United States
; in Bologna
in 1872 at the Teatro Comunale
, the first performance in Italy
under conductor Angelo Mariani
; in London
on 6 May 1876 at the Royal Opera House
, Covent Garden, the first performance in England
; and in Sydney
on 14 January 1901 at the Royal Theatre, the first performance in Australia
.
Premieres of the "Paris" version were given in New York at the Metropolitan Opera
on 30 January 1889 and at London's Royal Opera House
on 15 July 1895.
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, Walther, Biterolf, Reinmar, 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 Elisabeth, he relents and follows the landgrave and the singers to the Wartburg.
Elisabeth has been living in seclusion 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 Elisabeth 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". Elisabeth 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 support 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 Elisabeth, leave the hall in horror, and the knights draw swords upon Tannhäuser. Elisabeth 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 and redemption from the Pope
.
Orchestral music describes the pilgrimage of Tannhäuser. Elisabeth, 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 the Pope's staff had of sprouting leaves. Utterly despairing, Tannhäuser is now seeking the way back to the Venusberg 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 Elisabeth on a bier. Tannhäuser races to her side and collapses upon her body with the words, "Holy Elisabeth, pray for me" upon his lips. The younger pilgrims enter and announce that the Pope's staff has sprouted young leaves, a sign that Tannhäuser has obtained God's forgiveness.
is offered by three economists who argue in their analysis of Tannhäuser's Dilemma that the hero's outburst in the song contest can be viewed as a rational act solving the dilemma he faces once the tournament is under way: if he wins the contest he aggravates his sins as he would violate the sacrament of penance before a marriage to Elisabeth; if he loses, he loses his beloved Elisabeth.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
, based on the two German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
legends of Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser was a German Minnesänger and poet. Historically, his biography is obscure beyond the poetry, which dates between 1245 and 1265...
and the song contest
Sängerkrieg
The Sängerkrieg , also known as the Wartburgkrieg , was an alleged contest among minstrels at the Wartburg castle in Thuringia in 1207.-Medieval accounts of the Sängerkrieg:...
at Wartburg
Wartburg Castle
The Wartburg is a castle situated on a 1230-foot precipice to the southwest of, and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany...
. The story centres on the struggle between sacred and profane love and redemption through love, which is a theme running through most of Wagner's mature work.
The original version
Heinrich HeineHeinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
had provided Wagner with the inspiration for Der fliegende Holländer
The Flying Dutchman (opera)
Der fliegende Holländer is an opera, with music and libretto by Richard Wagner.Wagner claimed in his 1870 autobiography Mein Leben that he had been inspired to write "The Flying Dutchman" following a stormy sea crossing he made from Riga to London in July and August 1839, but in his 1843...
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
Venus (mythology)
Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
, was published in 1837 in Der Salon. Wagner also drew material from E. T. A. Hoffmann's story The Singer's Contest and Ludwig Tieck
Ludwig Tieck
Johann Ludwig Tieck was a German poet, translator, editor, novelist, writer of Novellen, and critic, who was one of the founding fathers of the Romantic movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.-Early life:...
's 1799 story Faithful Eckhart and Tannhäuser. Other possible sources include the 15th century folk ballad Das Lied von dem Danheüser and Ludwig von Bechstein's collection of Thuringian legends Der Sagenschatz und die Sagenkreise des Thüringerlandes. Wagner wrote the prose draft of Tannhäuser between June and July 1842 and the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
in April 1843.
The libretto of Tannhäuser combines the mythological element of German opera and the medieval history of French Grand Opera
Grand Opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterised by large-scale casts and orchestras, and lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on or around dramatic historic events...
. Wagner brings these two together by constructing a plot involving the 14th century Minnesingers and the myth of Venus
Venus (mythology)
Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
and her realm of Venusberg ('the mountain of Venus'). 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 Venusberg.
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
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
, often played separately as a concert piece, was written last. 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 instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
s, Wagner uses twelve German waldhorn
Natural horn
The natural horn is a musical instrument that is the ancestor of the modern-day horn, and is differentiated by its lack of valves. It consists of a mouthpiece, some long coiled tubing, and a large flared bell. Pitch changes are made through a few different techniques:* Modulating the lip tension as...
s. Wagner also makes use of the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, another commonplace of French opera.
Dresden première
Ferdinand Hiller
Ferdinand Hiller was a German composer, conductor, writer and music-director.-Biography:Ferdinand Hiller was born to a wealthy Jewish family in Frankfurt am Main, where his father Justus was a merchant in English textiles – a business eventually continued by Ferdinand’s brother Joseph...
, at that time a friend of the composer, assisted in the musical preparations for the production. The part of Elizabeth was sung by Wagner's niece Johanna Wagner
Johanna Jachmann-Wagner
Johanna Jachmann-Wagner or Johanna Wagner was a mezzo-soprano singer, tragédienne in theatrical drama, and teacher of singing and theatrical performance who won great distinction in Europe during the third quarter of the 19th century...
; Wagner had intended to premiere the opera to mark Johanna Wagner's 19th birthday on 13 October, but she was ill, which forced its postponement for six days. Venus was created by Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient
Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient
Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, born Wilhelmine Schröder , was a German operatic soprano. As a singer she combined a rare quality of tone with dramatic intensity of expression, which was as remarkable on the concert platform as in opera.- Biography :Schröder was born in Hamburg, the daughter of the...
, and the title role was taken by Josef Tichatschek
Josef Tichatschek
Josef Aloys Tichatschek , originally Tichaček, was a Bohemian opera singer highly regarded by Richard Wagner...
. The performance was conducted by the composer. Tannhäuser was not the success that Rienzi
Rienzi
Rienzi, der Letzte der Tribunen is an early opera by Richard Wagner in five acts, with the libretto written by the composer after Bulwer-Lytton's novel of the same name . The title is commonly shortened to 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 by the Paris OpéraParis Opera
The Paris Opera is the primary opera company of Paris, France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and renamed the Académie Royale de Musique...
, requested by the French emperor Napoleon III at the instigation of Pauline von Metternich, wife of the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n ambassador to Paris. This revision forms the basis of what is now known as the "Paris version" of Tannhäuser.
Wagner had originally hoped the Parisian première would have taken place at the Théâtre Lyrique
Théâtre Lyrique
The Théâtre Lyrique was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century . The company was founded in 1847 as the Opéra-National by the French composer Adolphe Adam and renamed Théâtre Lyrique in 1852...
; however since the work was to be presented at the Paris Opéra the composer was required to insert a ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
into 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 by representing the sensual world of Venus's realm. Thus in Tannhäuser the ballet takes the form of a bacchanale
Bacchanale
A bacchanale is a dramatic musical composition, often depicting a drunken revel or bacchanal.Well-known examples are the bacchanales in Camille Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila and the Overture and Bacchanale of Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser. John Cage wrote a Bacchanale for prepared piano...
.
The changes to the score in the Paris version, apart from the ballet, included:
- The text was translated into French (by Charles-Louis-Etienne NuitterCharles-Louis-Etienne NuitterCharles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter was a French librettist, translator, writer and librarian born in Paris, France on 24 April 1828. He died there on 23 February 1899 after suffering a stroke a few days before.-Librettist and translator:...
and others). - A solo for Walther was removed from Act 2.
- Extra lines for Venus following Tannhäuser's "Hymn to Love" were added.
- The orchestral introduction to Act 3 was shortened.
- The end of the opera was remodelled to include VenusVenus (mythology)Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
on stage, where before the audience only heard the Venus motifMotif (music)In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
. Wagner thought that prior to the change, audiences were confused about what was happening onstage.
The Paris première
Tannhäusers first performance in Paris was given on 13 March 1861 at the Salle Le Peletier of the Paris Opéra. 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
Jockey-Club de Paris
The Jockey Club de Paris is best remembered as a gathering of the elite of nineteenth-century French society. The club still exists at 2 rue Rabelais, and hosts the International Federation of Racing Authorities...
. Their custom was to arrive at the Opéra only in time for the Act II ballet, after previously dining, and, as often as not, to leave when the ballet was over. They objected to the ballet coming in Act I, since this meant they would have to be present from the beginning of the opera. Furthermore, they disliked Princess von Metternich
Pauline de Metternich
Princess Pauline Clémentine von Metternich - Winneburg zu Beilstein née Countess Pauline Clémentine Marie Walburga Sándor de Szlavnicza was a famous Viennese and Parisian socialite of great charm and elegance...
, who had promoted the performances, and her native country of Austria. Members of the Club, therefore, led barracking from the audience with whistles and cat-calls. At the third performance on 24 March, this uproar caused several interruptions of up to fifteen minutes at a time. As a consequence, Wagner withdrew the opera after the third performance. This marked the end to Wagner's hopes of establishing himself in Paris, at that time the centre of the operatic world.
Performance history
A few further changes to Tannhäuser were made for an 1875 performance of the opera in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, carried out under Wagner's supervision. These included linking the end of the overture to the start of the opera proper. The 1875 Vienna version is that normally used in modern productions of the "Paris" version, often with the reinstatement of Walther's Act 2 solo. 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).
Other premières
First performances of the "Dresden" version" of Tannhäuser were given in RigaRiga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
on 18 January 1853, the first performance abroad;
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
on 25 November 1854 at Theatre of the Estates; in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 4 April 1859 at the Stadt Theatre, the first performance in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
in 1872 at the Teatro Comunale
Teatro Comunale di Bologna
The Teatro Comunale di Bologna is an opera house in Bologna, Italy, and is one of the most important opera venues in Italy. Typically, it presents eight operas with six performances during its November to April season....
, the first performance in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
under conductor Angelo Mariani
Angelo Mariani (conductor)
Angelo Mariani was an Italian opera conductor and composer. His work as a conductor drew praise from Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Gioachino Rossini and Richard Wagner, and he was a longtime personal friend of Verdi's, although they became estranged towards the end of Mariani's life...
; in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 6 May 1876 at the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Covent Garden, the first performance in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; and in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 14 January 1901 at the Royal Theatre, the first performance in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Premieres of the "Paris" version were given in New York at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
on 30 January 1889 and at London's Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
on 15 July 1895.
Roles
Note:- Although the libretto and the score always use the single name Tannhäuser in stage directions involving the title character or in indicating which passages are sung by him, that name never appears as part of the lyrics. Rather, each character who addresses Tannhäuser by name uses the given name HeinrichHeinrichHeinrich is a male given name or surname of Germanic origin. Equivalents in other languages are Henry , Hendrik , Hinnerk , Enrico , Henri , Enrique , Enric , and Henrique . A pet form of Heinrich is "Heinz". The once-common Americanized nickname "Heinie" is largely obsolete...
. - The distinct character Heinrich der Schreiber sings many melodies distinct from all other named characters, and occasionally unique lyrics. However, in the libretto he finds individual mention only in the list of characters, with the ensemble numbers that include him being labelled for the Ritter (i.e., "knights", referring to the Minnesinger, who all share knightly rank). The score (at least in the SchirmerG. SchirmerG. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...
edition) labels his melody line simply "Schreiber".
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast 20 October 1845 (Conductor: Richard Wagner Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas... ) |
Revised version Premiere Cast, 1861 (Conductor: Pierre-Louis Dietsch Pierre-Louis Dietsch Pierre-Louis Dietsch was a French composer and conductor, perhaps best remembered for the much anthologized Ave Maria 'by' Jacques Arcadelt, which he loosely arranged from that composer's three part madrigal Nous voyons que les hommes.Fétis has reported that Dietsch was a choirboy at the Dijon... ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tannhäuser, a Minnesinger | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Josef Aloys Tichatschek | Albert Niemann Albert Niemann (tenor) Albert Wilhelm Karl Niemann was a leading German tenor opera singer especially associated with the operas of Richard Wagner... |
| Elisabeth, the Landgrave's niece | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Johanna Wagner | Marie Sasse Marie Sasse Marie Constance Sasse [Sax, Saxe, Sass] was a Belgian operatic soprano. "Her voice was powerful, flexible, and appealing", and she was one of the leading sopranos at the Paris Opéra from 1860 to 1870... |
| Venus | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... or mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, born Wilhelmine Schröder , was a German operatic soprano. As a singer she combined a rare quality of tone with dramatic intensity of expression, which was as remarkable on the concert platform as in opera.- Biography :Schröder was born in Hamburg, the daughter of the... |
Fortunata Tedesco |
| Wolfram von Eschenbach Wolfram von Eschenbach Wolfram von Eschenbach was a German knight and poet, regarded as one of the greatest epic poets of his time. As a Minnesinger, he also wrote lyric poetry.-Life:... , a Minnesinger |
baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Anton Mitterwurzer Anton Mitterwurzer Anton Mitterwurzer was a German opera singer, a noted baritone interpreter of the works of Gluck, Marschner, and Wagner.-Biography:He was born at Sterzing in the Tyrol, made his first theatrical appearance at Innsbruck, and at twenty-one was engaged at Dresden, where he stayed for thirty years,... |
Morelli Morelli Morelli was an Italian coachbuilding firm based in Ferrara and active in the 1950s and the 1960s, making primarily Aluminum bodies for OSCA. Of the some 200 cars produced by OSCA, perhaps 80 were MT4 models, and of the MT4 models, records show 40 Spiders with Morelli of Ferrara bodies.... |
| Herrmann, Landgrave of Thuringia | bass | Georg Wilhelm Dettmer | Cazaux |
| Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide is the most celebrated of the Middle High German lyric poets.-Life history:For all his fame, Walther's name is not found in contemporary records, with the exception of a solitary mention in the travelling accounts of Bishop Wolfger of Erla of the Passau diocese:... , a Minnesinger |
tenor | Max Schloss | Aimes AIMES AIMES is the Earth System synthesis and integration project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme .- Activities :* Coupled Carbon Cycle Climate Model Intercomparison Project... |
| Biterolf, a Minnesinger | bass | Johann Michael Wächter Johann Michael Wächter Johann Michael Wächter was an Austrian bass-baritone most famous for appearing in the operas of Richard Wagner.... |
Coulon |
| Heinrich der Schreiber, a Minnesinger | tenor | Anton Curty | König |
| Reinmar von Zweter Reinmar von Zweter Reinmar von Zweter was a Middle High German poet of Spruchdichtung. The iconography in the Manesse Codex suggests that he may have been blind, since he is the only person represented in the manuscript with closed eyes and other people writing... , a Minnesinger |
bass | Karl Risse | Freret |
| A young shepherd | soprano | Anna Thiele | Reboux |
| Four noble pages | soprano, alto Alto Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,... |
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| Nobles, knights, ladies, pilgrims, sirens, naiads, nymphs, bacchants; In Paris version, also the Three Graces Charites In Greek mythology, a Charis is one of several Charites , goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. They ordinarily numbered three, from youngest to oldest: Aglaea , Euphrosyne , and Thalia . In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces"... , youths, cupids, satyrs, and fauns |
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Act 1
The Venusberg, (the Hörselberg of "Frau Holda" in Thuringia, 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, Walther, Biterolf, Reinmar, 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 Elisabeth, he relents and follows the landgrave and the singers to the Wartburg.
Act 2
Hall of the WartburgElisabeth has been living in seclusion 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 Elisabeth 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". Elisabeth 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 support 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 Elisabeth, leave the hall in horror, and the knights draw swords upon Tannhäuser. Elisabeth 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 and redemption from the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
.
Act 3
The valley of the Wartburg, in autumnOrchestral music describes the pilgrimage of Tannhäuser. Elisabeth, 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 the Pope's staff had of sprouting leaves. Utterly despairing, Tannhäuser is now seeking the way back to the Venusberg 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 Elisabeth on a bier. Tannhäuser races to her side and collapses upon her body with the words, "Holy Elisabeth, pray for me" upon his lips. The younger pilgrims enter and announce that the Pope's staff has sprouted young leaves, a sign that Tannhäuser has obtained God's forgiveness.
Noted extracts
- Overture
- "Naht euch dem Strande" (Venusberg Music)
- "Geliebter, komm! Sieh dort die Grotte!"
- "Als du in kühnem Sange uns bestrittest"
- "Freudig begrüßen wir die edle Halle"
- "Beglückt darf nun dich, o Heimat, ich schauen" (Pilgrim's Chorus)
- "Allmächt'ge Jungfrau, hör mein Flehen!"
- "Willkommen, ungetreuer Mann"
- "Heil! Heil! Der Gnade Wunder Heil!" (includes "Younger Pilgrims' Chorus")
- "O Du, Mein Holder Abendstern" (O Star of Eve)
Recordings
- See Tannhäuser discographyTannhäuser discographyThis is a partial discography of the opera Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner. It was first performed in Dresden on 19 October 1845. A revised version was first given in Paris on 13 March 1861.-List:-External links:*...
.
Reference in Game Theory
A recent reinterpretation of Wagner's opera in terms of Game TheoryGame theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
is offered by three economists who argue in their analysis of Tannhäuser's Dilemma that the hero's outburst in the song contest can be viewed as a rational act solving the dilemma he faces once the tournament is under way: if he wins the contest he aggravates his sins as he would violate the sacrament of penance before a marriage to Elisabeth; if he loses, he loses his beloved Elisabeth.
External links
- Richard Wagner - Tannhäuser. A gallery of historic postcards with motives from Richard Wagner's operas.
- The libretto (in German)
- 'Venusberg music' (finale) from "Tannhauser", Audio/Visual
- Tannhäuser's Dilemma