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November 22, 2004
By Charlene Frank
Tannhäuser
Music: Richard Wagner
Conductor: Mark Elder
Production: Otto Schenk
Set Designer: Gunther
Schneider-Siemssen
Stage Director: Stephen
Pickover
Cast:
Elisabeth:
Deborah Voigt
Venus: Michelle DeYoung
Tannhäuser: Peter
Seiffert
Wolfram von Eschenbach: Thomas Hampson
Hermann: Kwangchul Youn
Shepard Boy: Jason
Goldberg
First I
have to say that Deborah Voigt is beyond the shadow of a doubt
the most spectacular living American soprano, and who knows,
maybe the most spectacular living soprano in the world. Wait,
let me temper my statement to say the most spectacular living
non-retired or non-semi-retired soprano. Whew, now when I meet
Monserrat Caballe or Joan Sutherland neither will be angry with
me. Anyway, whoever makes decisions at Convent Gardens should
be fired for unbelievable stupidity. Last time I was at Covent
Gardens it was an opera house, place where people went to hear
beautiful music. Now opera in London is something everyone at
the Met last night was laughing about. You want skinny? Go to
Gucci. You want to hear a soprano you will never forget? Go to
the Met and see Tannhäuser with Deborah Voigt.
Tannhäuser
und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg premiered in Dresden in 1845
with Wagner's niece Johanna in the role of Elisabeth. It was
not a huge success, but not a failure either. But by the 1850's
it was tremendously popular and in 1859 it was the first of
Wagner's operas to come to the United States, where it was
performed in New York.. Luckily for us in 2004 it's back in New
York again.
Tannhäuser
begins with a sensual ballet orgy, in the hot, hot, hot
Venusburg where Tannhäuser decides to tell Venus he wants
to go back to his beloved earth. Although the ballet is
beautiful, the rest of the first act was not at all exciting,
although mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung (Venus) gave a memorable
performance. The second act electrified the Met starting with
Deborah Voigt's first note. She was perfect, simply perfect.
I know that I
sound like she carried the entire opera, she didn't, Thomas
Hampson was, as always a rich, full bodied and commanding
baritone as Wolfram, Elisabeth's other admirer. He wasn't
nearly as sexy as he was last season in Don Giovanni, but
you can't always have sexy I suppose, however, as Wolfram, he
was terrific.
This was the
first time I had ever seen/heard the dramatic tenor Peter
Seiffert. This character, supposedly a self-portrait of Richard
Wagner, was dark (not nearly as dark as Wagner) and tormented,
and torn between his erotic and virginal view of women.
Although I was a bit under whelmed with Mr. Seiffert in the
first act, that changed as the opera moved on and his torment
grew. I hope we will be seeing more of him.
Always special
in any opera are talented children. Soprano Jason Goldberg as
the young shepard sang beautifully and with great confidence.
And even with
all this talent, it was Ms. Voigt who filled this giant house
with perfection. And we all get a chance to see her again in
the second part of this season in Un Ballo in Mashera. I
hope to see you there! |
