[11/4/20111] Preview: Finally we're back where we started in Act III of "Tannhäuser" (continued)

WAGNER: Tannhäuser: Act III, Wolfram, "Wie Todesahnung Dämmrung deckt die Lande" . . . "O du mein holder Abendstern"

Like a portent of death, twilight shrouds the earth
and envelops the valley in its sable robe;
the soul that yearns for those heights
dreads to take its dark and awful flight.
There you shine, o fairest of the stars,
and shed your light from afar;
your friendly beam penetrates the twilight gloom
and points the way out from the valley.

O you my fair evening star,
I always greeted you gladly;
from a heart that never betrayed its faith,
greet her if she passes by you,
if she soars above this mortal vale
to become a blessed angel in heaven.

Bryn Terfel, baritone; Berlin Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado, cond. DG, recorded 2000-01 [audio link]


NOW WE'RE GOING TO HEAR TWO MORE WOLFRAMS . . .

. . . one we've been tracking all through the series, Heinrich Schlusnus (1888-1952; this is his 1935 recording), plus -- in a near-contemporaneous recording -- a "new" Wolfram, from whom we'll be hearing more on Sunday, the outstanding lyric baritone Gerhard Hüsch (1901-1984).

WAGNER: Tannhäuser: Act III, Wolfram, "Wie Todesahnung Dämmrung deckt die Lande" . . . "O du mein holder Abendstern"

Heinrich Schlusnus, baritone; Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Leo Blech, cond. EMI, recorded 1935 [audio link]
Gerhard Hüsch, baritone; Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Hans Udo Müller, cond. EMI, recorded August 1936 [audio link]


I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE CRAZY, BUT NOW
WE'RE JUST GOING TO PLUNGE RIGHT IN . . .

. . . and hear the whole first half or so of Act III, from the Prelude through Wolfram's "O du mein holder Abendstern," right up to the moment of Tannhäuser's delayed return from his futile pilgrimage to Rome seeking absolution from the Pope. The conductor of our performance eventually recorded a complete Tannhäuser, but our extremely well-known Wolfram and Elisabeth never recorded their roles commercially.

We'll have proper English texts Sunday; for tonight, Milton Cross's plot synopsis will get us through.

WAGNER: Tannhäuser: Act III, from Prelude through Wolfram, "O du mein holder Abendstern"

Hermann Prey (b), Wolfram von Eschenbach; Leonie Rysanek (s), Elisabeth; Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Georg Solti, cond. Live performance, Dec. 17, 1960 [audio link]

Note: Since the source CDs contain Act III without track points, I thought I'd take advantage of it and offer this chunk without the awkward track switches we usually have to endure, except that I've started Milton Cross's plot synopsis on a track of its own, which you can skip to go directly to the Act III Prelude. Then (and we'll be talking about all of this Sunday) --

7:55 -- Wolfram's act-opening "Wohl wusst' ich hier sie im Gebet zu finden" ("I knew well I would find her here in prayer")
11:18 -- The return of the Thuringian pilgrims -- all except Tannhäuser, that is -- from Rome
15:56 -- Elisabeth's haunting prayer, "Allmächt'ge Jungfrau" ("All-powerful Virgin")
22:30 -- Wolfram's plea to Elisabeth to let him accompany her, followed by his "Wie Todesahnung" recitative at 25:02 and finally "O du mein holder Abendstern" at 26:51

OKAY, YOU'LL FIND GERMAN AND ENGLISH TEXTS . . .

. . . for the portion of the scene up to Wolfram's "Wie Todesahnung" here.

IN THIS WEEK'S SUNDAY CLASSICS POST

In case you haven't gotten the idea, we have the last of our three posts viewing Tannhäuser from the vantage point of Wolfram von Eschenbach.


RETURN TO THE BEGINNING OF THE POST

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