Wagner's opera 'Tannhauser' helps discover the mysteries of love
The Metropolitan Opera has been feeding us one audience favorite after another this fall, and the latest hit to arrive is Richard Wagner's "Tannhauser." When it comes to operatic composers -- at least for a massive cohort of the opera-loving public -- the controversial German is in a class by himself.
Setting aside the controversies surrounding his life, Wagner is most famous for, unlike almost all other composers of opera, composing both the libretto and the music for his works.
It's been more than 10 years since "Tannhauser" has been done at the Met, and the current production, directed by the near-legendary James Levine, has received excellent reviews.
The plot of "Tannhauser" addresses one of the most fought-over bones of contention to come out of any discussion of "the human condition": Is "true love" a largely spiritual matter or is it a matter of sensuality and lust?
At the opening, Tannhauser, a knight and a minnesinger, has been residing in the realm of Venus, where the carnal view of love prevails. But when the young knight returns to the real world, the he learns that Elizabeth, the niece of the Landgrave, is still in love with him.
Before this relationship can work, however, Tannhauser (sung by celebrated Wagnerian tenor Johan Botha) must emerge victorious from a singing contest on the nature of love. While his opponent, another knight, espouses traditional romantic views, Tannhauser offends the audience with his praise of sensuality. Consequently, he must undertake a pilgrimage to obtain absolution from the Pope.
Alas, the Pope has no sympathy for the heretical knight and announces cynically that such an action will occur when his crosier (his wooden staff) bursts into bloom. Could such a miracle take place?
Saturday's high-definition telecast of "Tannhauser," occurring on the final day of the live performance of the work at the Met, will at least in part resolve the mystery of love's true nature.
Met Live: "Tannhauser"
When: 12:55 p.m. Oct. 31
Where: Douglass Theatre, 355 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and the Galleria Mall Stadium Cinemas 15, 2980 Watson Blvd.
Cost: $24 adults, $20 seniors
Information: www.metopera.org/hdlive; 478-742-2000
This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Wagner's opera 'Tannhauser' helps discover the mysteries of love ."