Wagner’s secret

Lohengrin
Royal Opera House

Still, what is this opera about? By the time Wagner came to expound it, several years after it was written, he had decided that Lohengrin is at least as much in need of Elsa as she is of him. He so wants to be loved for himself alone, and not for his status and origins, that he insists on remaining a mystery — this is a paradoxical but subtle idea. And Wagner found he could identify with it, for he was wondering why anyone should take his art as seriously as he wanted them to, and so made Lohengrin into the type of the ‘absolute artist’, beyond criticism, but also, it turns out, asking — and not entitled to ask — for too much from his audience. Once having raised that issue, it is hardly surprising that Wagner found it stopped him in his tracks, and he wrote no music to speak of for five years. But in the face of that understanding of the opera, this production, ancient as it now is, had nothing to contribute. Even so, thanks to most of the performers the very long evening is a musical treat.

Previous page 1 | 2 | 3

More articles from: Michael Tanner | this section

Print this article

ShareThis

Post comment

lauriemacdonell-sanchez

August 14th, 2009 6:03pm Report this comment

Badly done opera is indeed exquisite torture. Am currently re-viewing Visconti's "Ludwig"--had it not been for Ludwig's bankroll & his fascination with "Lohengrin", some of Wagner's greatest works might never have been completed.

Post comment