TANNHÄUSER

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 41, 24 April 1931, Page 3

TANNHÄUSER

Wagner's magnificent grand opera, "Tannhauser," will be presented in concert form by the Royal Christchurch Musical Society in the. Civic ‘T heatre, on Wednesday, April 29, and , will be broadcast by 3YA. ~° This performance will be one the finest productions yet given to the public by this society, the musical director of which is Mr. W. H. Dixon, L:R.A M.,, A.R.C.M.. -A full chorus and orchestra will take part in the presentation and the roles of the soloists are well cast.

CHARACTERS : -Herman-Landgrave of Thuringa-Bass ........ TD. Williams Tannhauser-Minstrel Knight-Tenor . eevtereere A. TT. Laurenson ‘Walther-Minstrel Knight-Tenor ...... jexeteseeeees Sy Andrews Biterolf-Minstrel Knight-Bass ....., wriees coos J T. Wilson Schreiber--Minstrel Knight-Tenor ............... H. Blakely Reinmar-Minstrel Knight-Bass ........... R. S. H. Buchanan Elizabeth-Niece of the Landgrave-Soprano ....... Mrs. C. Tait . _Venus-Goddess of Love-Soprano . sss seeees Mrs. C. Tait

™" Wes many per- "= gons ‘"Tannhauset’’ is the greatest. of all operas.. It represents a period » in .the. life: of ‘the author, Wagner, ‘before he had abandoned the opera form for the music drama. Its music is of noble character throughout. It does not, like the "‘Ring of the WNieheluncen’? deal chicfvy with

the sins and the weaknesses of pagan gods, but with those of aspiring, suffering, self defeated humanity.. To those who look for the moral lesson in a work of art, there is disappointment; for the whole opera, with its magnificence of structure and its richness "ef detail, at the bottom only typifies the struggle between the good and the baser elements of the human soul. | The operas of Richard Wagner fall into.two classes. There are those-like "‘Parsifal’’ and the Ring series-which. bore plain people and delight the intelligentsia. Bs :

here are the earlier works-tike *"Tannhauser"’~at which too clever people sniff, and which, with their beautiful melodies and clear stories, please the majority. WASNER was the . first. composer to write the words as well as the music of his operas, thereby obtaining a completer harmony between. what may be called their bodies and their sowls. His plots were usually taken from Germanic national legends, that of "Tannhauser" probably proving the most popular. A wandering minstrel of that name seems to have existed in the thirteenth century, while the hero of the legend was a converted rake. After plunging into a vortex of pleasure on the Venusberg, he was rescued by the blessed Virgin and went to Rome to seek absolution. ‘But this was denied, and he returned to his voluptuous joys. Wagner embroidered on this, pro..moting the wandering minstrel to be a mantic knight.at the Court of Thuringia, where tournaments of song had superseded the clash of lances. Princess Elizabeth, the beautiful niece of the reigning Landgrave, used to bestow

guerdons of flowers upon the victors, among whom Heinrich von Tannhauser was usually supreme. Indeed, the tender touch of his harp and the wonderful trills of his rich voice bewitched Elizabeth, so that her fair hands _trembled as she wreathed his brow with flowers.

Dut Lannhauser was a child of Nature, imbued with strong animal passions, and a life of song and flowers and courtly graces did not content him, even with the crowning hope of a -lovely princess as his bride. So one day he sped away to the Venusberg, where the Goddess of Love presided over wild revels, luring men’s souls to perdition. Elizabeth wept and pined, taking no further interest in tournaments of song; and, meanwhile, the lost knight abandoned himself to sensual delights, . taking no heed of the lapse of weeks, and months and seasons.

OF a sudden, however, at the end of — @ year, he awoke as from a trance, and realised the satiety of pleasure. Though sitens and naiads of transcendent glory disported themselves about the pink waters of a gleaming lake, though the air was filled with celestial strains and Venus showed herself exceeding kind, Tannhauser heard the call of church bells, the call of duty and godliness and honest toil. Venus was loath to let him go; she cursed him and condemned him to misery and scorn, But presently we see him kneeling amid pastoral surroundings to return thanks to Heaven for his release. And thus he was found by the minstrel knights of Thuringia on their way home from a hunt in the forest. They were a brilliant cavalcade of knights and squires, all clad in Lincoln green as they streamed down the valley with .Tannhauser in their midst. A gsand tournament of song was announced, with the hand of the Princess as victor’s prize. The theme was the praise of love, and young Wolfram ° sang how he loved her from afar, how his only desire was to die in her service. Others ‘followed in the same strain, but when the turn: (Concluded on page 29.)

‘Tannhauser, rt (Continued from page 1.)

came for Tannhauser, he created a ghastly surprise. Instead of acclaiming. the Princess, "he declared himself the slave of Venus. All mortal love was feeble and cold, he‘eried ; only such as knew the rapture of celestial embraces should dare to speak of love. Horrified and indignant, the knights drew their swords and rushed upon the recreant, who would have been hewn to pieces had not the Princess intervened. Perhaps Tannhauseér’s outburst may have been but a sudden impulse of madness, for he now consented to join a band of pilgrims, and’ ‘set forth to expiate his sin at Rome. __ During his absence, the Court of Thuringia ‘ passed mournful months awaiting the day" when*the pilgrims ‘should return. Then at last, before. the Blessed ‘Virgin’s shrine; we see the Princess craving forgiveness for her beloved, while: faithful, unselfish Woltram knelt at a modest distance imploring Heaven to grant a happy meeting to the pair. Suddenly, holy melodies ‘were heard in the ‘distazice. and the returning pilgrims flowed down the mountain-path, but; alas! Tannhauser was missing in’ their train. Stricken with grief, the royal maiden determined to forsake the world and dedicate herself to the Virgin’s service. And at eventidé.. Wolfram, singing on the mountain-side; beheld’ a crouching figure, the unhappy’ Tannhauser, who told him all the rigours of his pilgrim: age:- . ot When I a heavy burthened pilgrim, Tt seemed to mé~his load? was all too light, an And if he sought a pathway. o’er the meadow, Bo I trod, unshod, antid ‘the’ rock and thorts . kn When in thehospice he sought rest and shelter, yO On ice and snow it was that I sought mine. He also told, as in the old Germanic legend, how. the Pope had . déclared absolution no less impossible than for his Crucifix to put forth leaves. But here the opera departs from’ the legend, for, when the Crucifix sprouted, the Pope’s emissaries,. .-found... Tanhhauser here with Wolfram.: just: as she: was about to answer the call of the Goddess and return to Venusberg. And now, as.a tragic climax, ‘the unhappy man beheld the approach of Elizabeth’s funeral, slowly descending the mountain-path. amid. mourning knights and weeping maidens. But their sorrow. was turned into joy -when they learned that’ Tannhauser had been absolved. The procession’ paused, and the erring knight sank in death beside the coffin of bis spiritual bride, filled with holy raptures in his assurance of eternity with her in Paradise.