jul 1, 1845 - Tannhauser

Description:

Tannhauser was a historical figure, one of the Medieval German knightly poet-musicians. In the opera, he has been seduced by Venus, the Roman love goddess. He scandalizes his peers with his lascivious songs but is ultimately redeemed by the sacrificial love of Elisabeth, a pure maiden. The most Wagnerian moment in the opera is the title character's long narrative in the last act, known as the "Rome monologue." In it, the composer sought to create a new kind of union between words and music, something similar to earlier attempts to invent or reinvent opera. As in a recitative by Monteverdi or by Gluck, Wagner's vocal line closely follows teh contour and rhyth, of the spoken language and responds, with great flexibility, to the meaning and emotional sequence of the narrative. The orchestra supports the vocal line with a supple web of expressive and llustrative "reminiscence motifs," themes that have accumulated associations and meaning over the course of the opera. This "monologue" illustrated Wagner's goal to dispense entirely with recitatives and set numbers (like arias or duets) to achiev a true through-composed continuity. He later called this unendliche Melodi (endless melody), a seamless stream in which every note is thematic and meaningful.

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