𝗪𝗜𝗞𝗜𝗣𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬
✧ Lilly Walleni ✧
Lilly Walleni (1875–1920) is the stage name of Swedish mezzo-soprano Sanna Klara Vallentin. Known for her powerful voice and dramatic stage presence, she performed major Wagnerian roles – including Elsa in Lohengrin, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, and Brünnhilde in Die Walküre – at leading opera houses in Germany and at the Royal Swedish O...
#CourtOpera #Sanna #Lohengrin #Tannhäuser #Stockholm #Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilly_Walleni
Tannhäuser at DNO: no ‘director’s theatre’ but subtle view on hypocrisy around love
Daniel Kirch, Ekaterina Gubanova, Björn Bürger (c) Monika Rittershaus
Recently, a petition was launched for the restoration of Olivier Keegel’s press accreditation by Dutch National Opera. They no longer provide press tickets because he fiercely attacked Pierre Audi’s programming on the Flemish blog Operagazet and in the Dutch newspaper Het Parool. Moreover, he denounced Audi’s predilection for ‘director’s theatre’, in which to his view content falls prey to a far-fetched ‘vision’ of the director.
I often strongly disagree with Keegel. As with his ludicrous crusade against the production Aus Licht around Karlheinz Stockhausen in the coming Holland Festival. Nor do I like the harsh tone of voice in which he formulates his objections. Nevertheless, I signed the petition. Dissenting opinions are necessary for artists and art institutions, for they provide an opportunity to define one’s own mission even more sharply.
Keegel might not find fault with the new production of Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser. Director Christof Loy closely follows Wagner’s libretto. With subtle gestures he makes the hypocrisy around courtly versus sensual love poignantly perceptible. In doing so, he makes use of mirror effects, as simple as they are inventive.
Beneath the neat surface, carnal lust is rampant
First of all, there is the stage setting. For four hours we see the imposing salon of a nineteenth-century gentlemen’s club. It functions as the sultry lovers’ den of Venus and Tannhäuser, as the abode of the fraternity of singers, and even as a church.
During the overture the singers make love to extremely young ballerinas and each other – in tailcoats. Later they react with horror to Tannhäuser’s carefree laudation of sexual intercourse; only thanks to Elisabeth he is not lynched. The message is clear: beneath the neat surface, carnal lust is rampant.
Secondly, there are the costumes. Love goddess Venus (the impressive mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova) wears a voluminous black dress and a glamorous white fur coat. Her earthly rival Elisabeth (the soprano Svetlana Aksenova) is dressed in an equally flamboyant white dress. In the sinister third act she appears in a somewhat shabby black women’s suit.
Saint or sinner: two sides of the same coin
When Elisabeth sacrifices her life for Tannhäuser’s salvation, Venus watches over her for minutes. Her posture resembles the painting of Madonna and Child that Elisabeth previously clutched in her arms. In the end, Venus lovingly covers her rival with her white cloak.
Thus Loy once again pinpoints bourgeois morality. For indeed things are never simply black or white: saint or sinner, ascetic or lecher, they are two sides of the same coin. No surprise then that at the end the seductive ballerinas once again throw themselves in the arms of the gentlemen.
Loy further illustrates the ubiquitous hypocrisy in Elisabeth’s ambivalent attitude towards Wolfram (the excellent baritone Björn Bürger). Even while expressing her love for Tannhäuser, she caresses him like a lover. This is reflected in Tannhäuser’s double-hearted behaviour. He finds no satisfaction in the physical lovemaking with Venus, nor in Elisabeth’s chaste love. Unfortunately the tenor Daniel Kirch is not an ideal Tannhäuser, his voice is rather shrill.
Graceful cantilenas
Still there is much to enjoy musically. The bass Stephen Milling is an impressive father of Elisabeth, the young soprano Julietta Aleksanyan is a beautiful lyrical shepherd. The DNO Choir is deeply moving in their flawless, subdued interpretations of the Pilgrim’s Choir and the Siren Choir. Also effective are the brass fanfares blasting into the hall from the balconies; you literally imagine yourself to be in the Wartburg. Thus the strings of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra even gain extra depth.
The woodwind instruments play a starring role. Many times (bass)clarinet, (alto)oboe and or flute encircle the voices of the singers with graceful cantilenas. The harp also has appealing solo passages in this romantic score by Wagner. Hats off to conductor Marc Albrecht who sustains the tension from beginning to end, keeping the textures transparent even in the loudest fortissimo passages.
In short: a successful production by Tannhäuser. – I’d be really interested in reading Olivier Keegel’s opinion.
Tannhäuser runs through 1 May.
#BjörnBürger #ChristofLoy #DanielKirch #DutchNationalOpera #EkaterinaGubanova #MarcAlbrecht #NederlandsPhilharmonischOrkest #OlivierKeegel #Tannhäuser #Wagner
Wagner's Tannhäuser was first performed in Dresden #OTD in 1845.
This is one of its great performances, a 1939 broadcast from the Met, conducted by Erich Leinsdorf, with Kirsten Flagstad, Rose Pauly, Eyvind Laholm, Herbert Janssen and Emmanuel List.
SOFIA OPER: „Tannhäuser“ – Emotional mitreißend
Gastartikel
[caption id="attachment_30785" align="alignleft" width="300"] Oper Sofia/TANNHÄUSER/Foto: Svetoslav Nikolov[/caption]
Nach einer selbst in Europa und zumal auf dem Balkan einzigartigen Produktionsserie von acht Werken des Bayreuther Richard Wagner-Kanons seit 2010, darunter gleich zwei kompletten „Ring“-Inszenierungen (2013 und 2023), hat sich der Generaldirektor der Sofia Oper und Regisseur Prof. Plamen Kartaloff dieses Jahr zu Beginn des III. Wagner-Festivals den „Tannhäuser“ vorgenommen. Das heißt also, das die Nationaloper Sofia nun bis auf die „Meistersinger von Nürnberg“ alle Werke des Bayreuthers Kanons im Repertoire hat and auch immer wieder spielt. In mittlerweile 15 Jahren ist in Sofia dabei ein beachtliches Wagner-Ensemble entstanden, anfangs instruiert von dem der Sofia Oper sehr verbundenen und 2017 verstorbenen deutschen Musikpädagogen, Pianisten und Opernstudienleiter Prof. Richard Trimborn. Weitere Größen des bulgarischen Opernlebens sowie Wagner-erfahrene Sänger aus Westeuropa machten danach weiter. Das Ergebnis zeigte sich auch wieder an diesem Abend. (Rezension der Premiere v. 26. Juni 2025) […]
https://opernmagazin.de/sofia-oper-tannhaeuser-emotional-mitreissend/
Dich, teure Halle, grüss’ ich wieder,
froh grüss’ ich dich, geliebter Raum!
In dir erwachen seine Lieder,
und wecken mich aus düstrem Traum.
Da er aus dir geschieden,
wie öd’ erschienst du mir!
Aus mir entfloh der Frieden,
die Freude zog aus dir.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDWSu3Dm97g
#FleetingMemoryASongOrPoem
#HashTagGames
#opera #operaQuote #elisabeth #tannhäuser #wagner #operaSinger #music
Wagner's Tannhäuser was first performed in Dresden #OTD in 1845.
This is Erich Leinsdorf's great broadcast from the Met in December 1939, my favourite performance of what is ultimately my favourite of Wagner's works. The cast includes Eyvind Laholm, Kirsten Flagstad, Rose Pauly, Herbert Janssen and EmmanuelList.
„Ich muss dahin!“ – Eine rastlose Suche nach Freiheit und Erlösung: „Tannhäuser“ an der Oper Graz
Elena Deinhammer
[caption id="attachment_29193" align="alignleft" width="300"] Opernhaus Graz/ Foto: © Oper Graz[/caption]
Vor 170 Jahren gelangte Richard Wagners große romantische Oper „Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg“ in Graz zur österreichischen Erstaufführung. Zur Feier des 125-jährigen Bestehens des heutigen Operngebäudes, einst ebenfalls mit Wagner, jedoch dem „Lohengrin“ eingeweiht, eröffnet die Oper Graz ihre Jubiläumssaison nun mit „Tannhäuser“ und schafft damit einen emotional packenden wie religiös sensiblen Abend mit großem musikalischen Genuss. (Besuchte Vorstellung: 10. Oktober 2024) […]
Pictures of the Tannhauser story, Arbeitszimmer, Neuschwanstein Castle, Upper Bavaria, Germany between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900. Views of Germany
#Tannhauser #Arbeitszimmer #UpperBavaria #Germany #ViewsofGermany #Greek #Tannhäuser #photography #historicalPhotos
WikiPicBot
Contemporary Classical - Thea Derks
Phantastik-News.de
Tim Ashley 🏳️🌈
DWDS
DAS OPERNMAGAZIN
Megan Marie Hart
Photochromprints