Tannhäuser
- Episode aired Feb 28, 2017
- 3h 2m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
5
YOUR RATING
Photos
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Featured review
Wagner in French
'Tannhäuser' is a fine opera in many respects, if not my personal favourite of Wagner's operas (between 'Tristan Und Isolde' and 'Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg'). When done right the conflicts, namely in the personifications of virtue and sin, between the characters are compelling and the music is fabulous, and it is not just one of Wagner's greatest overtures. Other highlights between the Pilgrim Chorus and Wolfram's "Lied An Den Abendstern" (translated into English as "Song to the Evening Star").
Was rather mixed on this production from Monte Carlo. It's definitely a watchable one but at the same time it was a bit lacking in areas for me. Other than my love for Wagner and high appreciation for 'Tannhäuser', this production had three interest points, though one was also a worry. One was that it was in French, if remembered correctly that is a first for any Wagner opera production seen. The second was that it was conducted by a woman, have very seldom heard or seen a woman conduct Wagner let alone 'Tannhäuser'. The third was Jose Cura singing the punishing title role and seeing how he would fare in it, part of me was worried though because to me he has done roles that sounded like they were too heavy for him and Tannhäuser is one of the heaviest sings in the whole tenor repertoire.
Cura actually comes off quite well here. He mostly sounds warm and doesn't sound strained, though with some unsteady high register moments, he sings with nice dynamic range and elegant line and he also has some of the best French of the cast. He also has the authority, nobility and vulnerability for Tannhäuser. The authority, nobility and vulnerability also shows in the acting of Jean-Francois Lapointe as Wolfram. Lapointe also sings with a rich and focused tone. Steve Humes is an authoritative Landgraf.
Nathalie Stutzmann paces the music performance well, giving room to breathe while not sagging. The orchestral playing does an impressive job and Wagner's music is no easy picnic, the brass don't sound fatigued and they do have a large role to play in 'Tannhäuser' and in all of Wagner's operas, the woodwind are delicate yet incisive and the strings play stylishly with not a hint of shrillness. The male chorus sing incisively and give individuality to their acting. Regarding the production values, the minimalist ones worked for Act 3 and the colourful video projections made the production look more interesting than it actually was.
Did think though that the sets were not the most appealing and that they were too sparse and stark throughout, regardless of the video projections and some over-saturated lighting. The staging has its powerful moments, like Elisabeth's prayer, but there could have been much more conflict, the whole virtue/good and sin/evil conflict (the whole point of 'Tannhäuser') doesn't come through enough, and the sensual eroticism one expects in Act 1 is missing and it feels static. There are also a couple of staging touches that may feel tasteless, both involving two major character deaths, that completely distracted from the redemptive element that is essentially the heart of the story and didn't make sense.
While musically the production was mostly pretty good there were weaknesses, with an at times ragged and approximate ladies chorus. Meanwhile there was a sense that Elisabeth was too heavy a role for Annemarie Kremer, who excepting in her final prayer (admittedly beautifully sung) sounded underpowered. Her Elisabeth could have grown more in interpretation, didn't get much of a much that she developed or got stronger as a character. Aude Extremo failed to allure and thrill enough as Venus and didn't always sound steady, also having the worst French of the cast because her sound was a vast sea of all vowels and not many consonants.
In summary, somewhat of a mixed view here. 5/10 Bethany Cox
Was rather mixed on this production from Monte Carlo. It's definitely a watchable one but at the same time it was a bit lacking in areas for me. Other than my love for Wagner and high appreciation for 'Tannhäuser', this production had three interest points, though one was also a worry. One was that it was in French, if remembered correctly that is a first for any Wagner opera production seen. The second was that it was conducted by a woman, have very seldom heard or seen a woman conduct Wagner let alone 'Tannhäuser'. The third was Jose Cura singing the punishing title role and seeing how he would fare in it, part of me was worried though because to me he has done roles that sounded like they were too heavy for him and Tannhäuser is one of the heaviest sings in the whole tenor repertoire.
Cura actually comes off quite well here. He mostly sounds warm and doesn't sound strained, though with some unsteady high register moments, he sings with nice dynamic range and elegant line and he also has some of the best French of the cast. He also has the authority, nobility and vulnerability for Tannhäuser. The authority, nobility and vulnerability also shows in the acting of Jean-Francois Lapointe as Wolfram. Lapointe also sings with a rich and focused tone. Steve Humes is an authoritative Landgraf.
Nathalie Stutzmann paces the music performance well, giving room to breathe while not sagging. The orchestral playing does an impressive job and Wagner's music is no easy picnic, the brass don't sound fatigued and they do have a large role to play in 'Tannhäuser' and in all of Wagner's operas, the woodwind are delicate yet incisive and the strings play stylishly with not a hint of shrillness. The male chorus sing incisively and give individuality to their acting. Regarding the production values, the minimalist ones worked for Act 3 and the colourful video projections made the production look more interesting than it actually was.
Did think though that the sets were not the most appealing and that they were too sparse and stark throughout, regardless of the video projections and some over-saturated lighting. The staging has its powerful moments, like Elisabeth's prayer, but there could have been much more conflict, the whole virtue/good and sin/evil conflict (the whole point of 'Tannhäuser') doesn't come through enough, and the sensual eroticism one expects in Act 1 is missing and it feels static. There are also a couple of staging touches that may feel tasteless, both involving two major character deaths, that completely distracted from the redemptive element that is essentially the heart of the story and didn't make sense.
While musically the production was mostly pretty good there were weaknesses, with an at times ragged and approximate ladies chorus. Meanwhile there was a sense that Elisabeth was too heavy a role for Annemarie Kremer, who excepting in her final prayer (admittedly beautifully sung) sounded underpowered. Her Elisabeth could have grown more in interpretation, didn't get much of a much that she developed or got stronger as a character. Aude Extremo failed to allure and thrill enough as Venus and didn't always sound steady, also having the worst French of the cast because her sound was a vast sea of all vowels and not many consonants.
In summary, somewhat of a mixed view here. 5/10 Bethany Cox
helpful•20
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jan 1, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Monaco(Opera House)
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content