[10/21/2011] Preview: Wagner sends amazing sounds reverberating around that valley in Thuringia (continued)

Again, the great baritone Heinrich Schlusnus (1888-1952)
as Wolfram von Eschenbach, harp at the ready

I THOUGHT WE MIGHT START, OR CONTINUE, WITH
A QUICK REMINDER OF THE TERRITORY WE'VE COVERED

In the Act II "Song Contest at the Wartburg," the first of the Singers -- as chosen by random drawing -- to present his explanation of "the essence of love" is Wolfram von Eschenbach, and among the Wolframs we heard, via a 1950 broadcast performance, was the 62-ish Heinrich Schlusnus. I thought we would listen to that performance again (once again including the "setup" material, though if you like you can skip directly to the second track for "Blick' ich umher") and then turn the clock back and hear Schlusnus, in just the contest song itself, as a "youngster" of 47.

Tannhäuser: Act II, Landgraf, "Auf, liebe Sänger!" ("Up, dear singers!" . . . Four Pages, "Wolfram von Eschenbach, beginne!" ("Wolfram von Eschenbach, begin!" . . . Wolfram, "Blick' ich umher in diesem edlen Kreise"("When I look around this noble circle")

LANDGRAF: Up, beloved Singers! Pluck the strings!
The task is set! Compete for the prize
and receive in advance all our thanks.
GUESTS: Hail! Hail! Hail to Thuringia's Prince!
Hail to the protector of the gracious art! Hail! Hail!
[The FOUR PAGES come forward and collect from each Singer, in a golden bowl, a small roll of paper bearing his name; they present the bowl to ELISABETH, who takes out one of the papers and hands it back to the pages. These read the name, and advance ceremoniously into the middle of the hall.]
FOUR PAGES: Wolfram von Eschenbach, begin!
[WOLFRAM rises. TANNHÄUSER leans on his harp, seemingly lost in dreams.]

THE SONG CONTEST

WOLFRAM: When I look around this noble circle,
what a sublime spectacle makes my heart glow!
So many heroes, valiant, upright and judicious,
a forest of proud oaks, magnificent, fresh and green.
And ladies I behold, charming and virtuous,
a richly-perfumed garland of lovely blooms.
My glance becomes enraptured at the sight,
my song mute in face of such radiant loveliness.
I lift my eyes up yonder to one star
which stands fast in the firmament and dazzles me:
my spirit draws comfort from that distance,
my soul devoutly sinks in prayer.
And behold! Before me a miraculous spring appears,
which my spirit glimpses, filled with wonder!
From it, it draws bliss, rich in grace,
through which, ineffably, it revives my heart.
And never would I sully this fount,
nor taint the spring in wanton mood:
I would practice myself in devotion, sacrificing,
gladly shed my heart's last drop of blood.
You noble ones may gather from these words
how I do apprehend love's purest essence to be!
[He sits down.]
KNIGHTS AND LADIES: 'Tis so! 'Tis so! Praised be your song!

Heinrich Schlusnus (b), Wolfram von Eschenbach; with Otto von Rohr (bs), Landgraf Hermann; Hessian Radio Chorus and Orchestra, Kurt Schröder, cond. Broadcast performance, 1950 [audio link]

"Blick' ich umher" only
Heinrich Schlusnus (b), Wolfram von Eschenbach; Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Leo Blech, cond. EMI, recorded 1935 [audio link]


NOW BACK TO ACT I

In the scene-change music we heard before the click-through, we heard the pilgrims nearing the shrine to the Virgin. Now we're going to hear them off, and hear the Shepherd send them off, on their long journey to Rome (that's a long trip on foot!), and then we hear a new musical element reverberating around the valley: the horns that announce the arrival of the party of Landgraf Hermann.

This is, I hope you'll notice, something of a torture test for the orchestra's horn players. The 1962 Bayreuth contingent rises to the challenge rather spectacularly. (Back when the festival players, still drawn from the ranks of Germany's leading orchestras and formed something of an all-star ensemble.)

TRANSFORMATION NO. 3: The Shepherd offers the pilgrims a send-off on their journey; the Landgraf's party approaches

And whom should they see but -- ?

Tannhäuser: Act I, Chorus of Pilgrims, "Am hohen Fest der Gnad' und Huld" . . . Landgraf, "Wer ist der dort?"

PILGRIMS [very distant]: At the sublime feast of clemency and grace,
I will atone for my sins in humility;
[a forest horn in the theater, distant]
blessed is he who truly believes.

Forest horns in the distance. Out of the heights at left from a forest path appear the Landgraf and the Singers, one by one, dressed as hunters.

LANDGRAF [catches sight of TANNHÄUSER]: Who is that man yonder, sunk in fervent prayer?
WALTHER VON DER VOGELWEIDE: A penitent surely.
BITEROLF: By his garb a knight.
WOLFRAM [rushes up to TANNHÄUSER and recognizes him]: It is he!
WALTHER, HEINRICH DER SCHREIBER, BITEROLF, and REINMAR: Heinrich! Heinrich! Do I see right?

Josef Greindl (bs), Landgraf Hermann; Gerhard Stolze (t), Walther von der Vogelweide; Franz Crass (bs), Biterolf; Eberhard Wächter (b), Wolfram von Eschenbach; Georg Paskuda (t), Heinrich der Schreiber; Gerd Nienstedt (bs), Reinmar von Zweter; Bayreuth Festival (1962) Chorus and Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch, cond. Philips, recorded live, 1962 [audio link]
Kurt Moll (bs), Landgraf Hermann; Siegfried Jerusalem (t), Walther von der Vogelweide; Walton Groenroos (b), Biterolf; Bernd Weikl (b), Wolfram von Eschenbach; Donald Litaker (t), Heinrich der Schreiber; Rainer Scholze (bs), Reinmar von Zweter; Bavarian Radio Chorus, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink, cond. EMI, recorded January 1985 [audio link]


IN THIS WEEK'S SUNDAY CLASSICS POST

Can't wait to hear what happens next? Tune in Sunday for the return of the prodigal Tannhäuser to the Thuringian fold.


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