Tannhäuser (opera)

• Hermann, Landgrave of Thuringia ( bass)
• Tannhäuser (Tenor)
• Wolfram von Eschinbach ( lyric baritone )
• Walther von der Vogelweide (Tenor)
• Biterolf ( bass)
• Henry the recorder ( tenor)
• Reinmar of Zweter ( bass)
• Elisabeth niece of the Landgrave (soprano )
• Venus ( soprano or mezzo-soprano)
• A young shepherd (soprano )
• Four Edelknaben ( soprano and alto )
• Choir ( Bacchantes, Thuringian nobility, pilgrims)

Tannhäuser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg [note 1] is a romantic opera in three acts by Richard Wagner, which is based on the traditional folk ballad Tannhauser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg. The opera deals with the dichotomy between sacred and godless love and redemption through love - a theme that runs through many of Wagner's later works.

Action

At the beginning of the work Tannhäuser is in the interior of the Venusberg ( i.e., the Hörselberg near Eisenach ). The world of Venus is dedicated exclusively to the sensuality. Tannhäuser has found their way here as a mortal, of enjoyment, however, is increasingly weary ( " If it can always enjoy a God, I 'm changing subject "). Venus tries to move her knight to stay, and prophesied that the people would never forgive Tannhäuser be enjoyed at the pagan goddess of love: He never liked his salvation. Tannhäuser remains in his act: " My salvation rests in Mary! " In the invocation of Mary the world of Venus is sinking, and Tannhäuser finds himself mixed the Wartburg mountain in a lovely wooded valley in Thuringia. He is reconciled with the Knights, he had once abandoned, and wants in a song festival, which is determined on the next day, take part, even to the heart of Elisabeth, niece of the Landgrave to win.

In the second elevator Tannhäuser and Elisabeth meet for the first time. In a dialogue between the two and a conversation between Elizabeth and the Landgrave the desired connection between the two is hardly prepared veiled. The song festival begins, each of the participants have to sing about love or eros. However, even before he gets Tannhäuser 's turn, more and more enraged, as he noted that the other minstrels of true sensuality obviously have no idea that he has experienced in the Venusberg. This led him, as he should sing a praise to the love, to confess that he has been in the Venusberg, making it evokes disgust and outrage by the general moral laws of time and condemned by the Prince. The invocation of, or stay with pagan gods was always idolatry and idolatry. Only the intercession of Elizabeth Tannhauser is allowed to the pilgrims who move to Rome to connect to repent and ask for forgiveness.

In the third act we see how Elizabeth waits in vain for the return of Tannhauser; among the returning pilgrims who have found grace in Rome, he is not. Desperate, she pulls back, the convoy Wolfram she leans silently from. Wolfram sings in a sad song, the premonition of death, as the twilight covers the land. Since seamless Tannhäuser. He has been in Rome, but has no forgiveness found ( Romer count). The Pope ( in the saga, it is Urban IV ) spoke to his priest bar showing ". How this rod in my hand, never adorns herself with fresh green, salvation from hell can hot fire never to bloom you" Tannhäuser is desperate and longs to be brought back into the realm of Venus. This also appears, but Wolfram Tannhäuser holds of the desperate step from. He calls Elizabeth of names whose request to be allowed to die for Tannhäuser's forgiveness, has now been fulfilled. Venus is instantly gone. Tannhäuser dies, with his last words Elizabeth for help in asking God. Pilgrims bring the miraculous blossoming rod priest from Rome: " The dry rod in hand priest he has adorned with fresh green " - a sign that God granted Tannhäuser own salvation. After the praise of God by the chorus: " High above the world is God, and his mercy is not a mockery " closes the work with the sentence: " The grace of salvation is granted to the penitent, he now goes into the blessed peace! "

Story versions

Tannhäuser is Wagner's fifth finished opera, and was begun in 1842. It is based on two originally independent legends, and of Henry of Novalis and the singers' contest on the Wartburg currently Landgrave Hermann I of Thuringia (d. 1217 ) on the one hand as the from Tannhäuser, the IV for his stay in the Venusberg forgiveness by Pope Urban ( Pope 1261-1264 ) was looking for. In Ludwig Bechstein's collection The legends of Eisenach and the Wartburg, the Hörselberge and Reinhardsbrunn of 1835, these two - at least 50 years apart, but most likely fictional - events immediate succession lecture, which brought Wagner on the idea to an action and the figures of Henry of Novalis and Tannhäuser to merge into a shape. Bechstein was not the discoverer of the substances in the rest. Both can already be found in the German legends of the Brothers Grimm, who from Tannhäuser in Des Knaben Wunderhorn. After Wagner's statement in his autobiography My Life, he also knew at least two literary versions of the word: Ludwig Tieck's story Faithful Eckhart and Tannhäuser and ETA Hoffmann's novella The battle of the singers from The Serapion Brothers.

Text book and score emerged intermittently within three years, the premiere took place on October 19, 1845 in the Royal Saxon Court Theatre (first Semperoper ) in Dresden.

The version of the premiere represents the stage 1 in the Wagner work directory ( WWV ). Even immediately after Wagner took first changes: he shortened the introduction to III. Akt ( Tannhäuser's Pilgrimage), leaving at the end of Venus occur again and perform the funeral of Elizabeth scenic. He also allowed various cuts, mainly for two reasons: firstly, because the title role ( as before ) is one of the most stressful and difficult on the tenor repertoire and secondly, to shorten scenes with dumb game that the singers of the 19th century rarely exported to the satisfaction of the composer. The changes and reduction options discussed Wagner in 1852 in detail in his book about the performance of Tannhäuser. In 1860, he managed to leave the score of Breitkopf & Härtel sting with the previously validated modifications and variations new. This stage 2 of the WWV is reached. This version ( not the premiere ) is usually referred to as a stage customary or Dresden version.

Opened in 1861 for Wagner the opportunity to perform the Tannhäuser at the Paris Opéra. For Charles Nuitter and others developed in close collaboration with the composer a French version of the text. In addition, a ballet for the second act was obligatory, which Wagner initially rejected categorically. However, he soon decided to let the Venusberg scene preceded by a Bacchanal (by the standards of the time, you could hardly call the ballet ) and make the following duet music especially new. The new version shows in terms of harmony and instrumentation significant influences of work on Tristan und Isolde. He also added to the choir at the end of III. Act strings and harp added. The Paris performances in French form stage 3 in WWV. That the Parisian performances Wagner not helped in France breakthrough, was only a small part to the fact that there was no ballet in Act II, but much more to the total unfamiliar and novel facture of the work.

For model performances in Munich in 1867 and Vienna in 1875, the composer took only one significant change: from now on should immediately follow the overture, the first scene, which was shortened in Munich for a few bars in Vienna around the second half. The Paris were carried out by local circumstances strokes were opened again. The hereby reached stage 4 of the WWV is generally called Paris version ( would be right actually Viennese version or final version ).

Wagner was already planning his lifetime, take the Tannhauser in the repertoire of the Bayreuth Festival, where he was undecided whether he should give the Dresden or the Viennese version preference or a new, again the Dresden approximated (see Cosima's diary entries 6 November. , 1877, March 13, 1881 and 23 January 1883). Tannhäuser was played in Bayreuth for the first time in 1891.

Playing time ( on the example of the Bayreuth Festival )

At the Bayreuth Festival, it was customary to record the length of the individual elevators, but there not all years were recorded. Influence on the duration also had the kind of voice and temperament of the singer. In the case of Tannhäuser different versions led to greater time differences as accustomed between performances of different conductors.

* Due to different production versions are not always representative. Percentages are based on the shortest duration.

Instrumentation

3 flutes (3rd piccolo ), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 horns valve, 2 french horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, harp, strings

Stage Music: piccolo, 2 flutes, English horn, 4 oboes, clarinets 6, 4 bassoons, 12 horns, 12 trumpets, 4 trombones, drums, cymbals, tambourine [ in addition to the Paris Act: castanets, harp ]

Discography

About the music beyond reception

In a recent and especially about the music beyond reception Wagner's opera is viewed on the film of the game theory. Within an economic study, an analysis of Tannhäuser 's dilemma is performed. The basic dilemma of the protagonist of the opera is interpreted in this study as a problem of rational decision-making. The hero is thus within the singer in front of a war not to unattached dilemma: Should he win the competition, he complicates his sins with the marriage of Elisabeth continue without him would get salvation. Should he, however, be subject to competition, he would lose his beloved Elizabeth.