Sunday Classics preview: Sneaking up on "Tannhäuser"

by Ken

Yes, we're sneaking up on Wagner's Tannhäuser, which we're going to be looking at, or rather listening to, from what I think is a fairly unusual perspective: that of the baritone, Wolfram von Eschenbach. It's going to take us three "go"s to get through the project (not to worry, operaphobes, they won't be consecutive).

For tonight's preview we're going to do something we often do: start at the beginning, with the Overture segue-ing into the "Venusberg Music" of the opening scene. For a change of pace I thought I'd start with a performance of Franz Liszt's piano arrangement of the Overture which I happen to have readily available, but I'm not all that enthusiastic about it (this isn't Liszt in "play" mode but in "enabling music lovers who don't have access to an orchestral performance but who play the piano to enjoy the music" mode, and the pianist is, shall we say, not a favorite of mine). So we're going to hear it (what the heck, I've already made the audio file), but one thing Sunday Classics isn't supposed to be about is me dishing out music I'm not enthusiastic about.

So I've switched gears, and before the click-through we're instead going to get a taste of where we're headed -- probably the best-known vocal music in the opera, Wolfram's Act III song to the evening star, in a performance by bass-baritone José van Dam which I can be wildly enthusiastic about.

One of the things about Wagner's characterization of Wolfram, who occupies the role that in Hollywood might be called "leading man's best friend," is that an astounding proportion of it is staggeringly, life-alteringly gorgeous, and probably none of it more immediately obviously so than the evening-star song. We're going to be talking more about it (boy, are we going to be talking more about it), but for now we're just going to hear it, in a performance by bass-baritone José van Dam (who finally retired only last year, not long before his 70th birthday) which I can be wildly enthusiastic about.

I suppose I should say this much: that the song is sung by Wolfram in utter hopelessness at his inability to provide any comfort to the woman he loves, Elisabeth, who could care less about him, so hopelessly absorbed is she in the seemingly lost-to-decent-folk Tannhäuser. At this point Wolfram has good reason to believe, from close personal observation, that Elisabeth isn't long for this vale of tears.


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.

-- translation mostly from the Terfel-Abbado-DG booklet

José van Dam, bass-baritone; Orchestre National de Lille, Jean-Claude Casadesus, cond. Forlane, recorded October 1990 [audio link]


FOR MORE OF OUR TANNHÄUSER SNEAK PEEK, CLICK HERE

THE TANNHÄUSER SERIES

Part 1: What if Wagner had called it Wolfram von Eschenbach and the Song Contest at the Wartburg?
Act II and the Song Contest
"Sneak" preview and main post

Part 2: Continuing our look at Tannhäuser from the vantage point of Wolfram von Eschenbach --
Circling back to Act I
Preview and main post

Part 3: Finally we reach Act III --
Wolfram's vigil over Elisabeth
Preview and main post

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