Wagner: Lohengrin [Blu-ray]

Wagner's Lohengrin is perhaps his most overtly 'romantic' opera. Indeed, it is the quintessential 'knight in shining armor/damsel in distress' story. But like its other Wagnerian cousins (and direct relative, Parsifal) there are many layers of meaning at work in Wagner's text. Musically, this is his most brilliantly scored work, full of brassy fanfares and rousing choruses.And in every way, this is an outstanding musical performance. The American born and trained Kent Nagano, Director of the Bavarian State Opera, leads a performance that can stand comparison to any recording I have heard. His cast, many of them home grown favorites, is headed by THE great singer of our time, Jonas Kaufmann, whose voice, technique and temperment are ideally suited to the role of the Swan Knight.Only one tentative attack on a pianissimo high note slightly mars an otherwise unimpeachable live performance, introspective, anguished, and heroic by turns.Anja Harteros, a German-Greek soprano whose star has been rising in recent years, plays Elsa as a visionary at odds with her regimented surroundings. She is fully immersed in the role and perfectly suited to the vocals demands, as well. Wolfgang Koch and Michaela Schuster are well matched as a thuggish Telramund and his blond gun-moll Ortrud. Friedrich is a notoriously ungrateful role, easily descending into stock moustache-twirling villainy and cruelly high in the voice. Koch is more than up to the vocal demands, and is wholly credible as the villain who is also a victim. Schuster, as his wife, is all eye-popping, sneering, malice. If she does not erupt with quite the volcanic force of Christa Ludwig, well, who else does?Christoff Fischesser, one of a bumper crop of young German basses, may seem a bit callow as the warrior-king Henry the Fowler (the one historic figure in the opera, father of the founfer of the Holy Roman Empire), but he sings Heinrich's demanding part with finesse and detail. The King's Herald, here a significant presence in acts one and two, is excellently proclaimed by Evgeny NikitinThe Bavarian State Opera Chorus is the equal of any, i.e. The Met or Vienna, opera chorus in the world, as is the Bavarian State Opera Orchestra.As to the production: To those "all-rude dank word-sayers" who decry anything resembling a modernized staging I say "Shut your mouth and open your mind!" I know every bar of this opera well, I own scores, both full orchestral and piano reduction, and I speak German fluently. I am also both a trained opera singer and trained in theater production. And I am telling you all that this is one of the most intelligent, well-thought-out modernized productions I have ever seen. Not a single detail is not clearly without meaning in the context the director, Richard Jones, has devised. Yes, perhaps we miss Lohengrin's entrance in gleaming armor. But if we understand him as man living a preternatural life, desperate to find his way to a normal world and fit in, then his appearance in a baggy t-shirt makes perfect sense. If he is not drawn onstage by the swan, he is at least carrying it, and this becomes an allusion to his father, Parsifal's slaying of a swan as an ignorant youth. The building of the house is a metaphor for the building of a Society, and when Lohengrin is betrayed he burns that house, leaving the town a series cots, like a homeless shelter.All aspects of Ultz's designs are similarly integrated: The Brabantian (Bavarian?) costumes gold uniforms yielding to Lohengrin's blue t-shirts; the wedding ceremony mingling blue and gold sand in a vase; the Herald `broadcasting' from a tall chair to TV screens; even the quote from Wagner (Here, where my delusions find peace, I name Wahnfried, my home) integrate into a thoughtful gloss on Wagners score. To dismiss all regie-theater out of hand is as reactionary and luddite as those forgotten 19th Century critics who declared Wagner's "Music of the Future" as an ill-fated aberration.

This new Decca release of Lohengrin has already initiated controversy and discussion at the Opera L site. What is not controversial, however, is the praise and enthusiasm for the performance musically. As much as I enjoyed Klaus Florian Vogt's Lohengrin on Opus Arte, Waltraute Meier';s Ortrud and Kringelborns' Elsa (until pressed to produce spinto tones which are not hers to give) I would have to award this set as the "best" Lohengrin on DVD. The reasons are not hard to find. Jonas Kaufmann is an artist without peer; not only is he musically intelligent, has artistic impulses that I have rarely enjoyed in the tenor voice. The fact that is handsome and is a superb actor are pluses which will make this artist a "go to" man for many roles. He has the ability to cross vocal lines from Don Jose, and Werther, the Berlioz Faust and Cavarodossi, and Florestan. On YouTube there is a clip from Swiss TV of the Student Prince; the music may be kitsch but Kaufmann elevates it by treating it as worthy of the effort he would put into an operatic role and there is no trace of an accent. In the Decca Carmen he was clearly comfortable with the dialogue. And wonder of wonders he is a tenor who knows the value of singing softly. In fernam land is sung very softly, a hushed mezza voce, so nuanced that one almost things he is singing it for himself. Glorious.His Elsa is equally gifted; she is able to bring to the party what Kringelborn and Armstrong couldn't: a lush spinto tone that is never stressed or shrill. The voice is a beautiful one and for those who have never heard it YouTube did have (or maybe still) clips of the Strauss' Four Last Songs. Her repertoire is equally as varied as Kaufmann's, from Mozart, to Verdi and Wagner. She is clearly comfortable with the produdtion as are the remainder of the participants. I have no doubt that if she wasn't in demand before this release, she will be now.The remainder of the cast is excellent and the choral contributions maintain the same high level that the soloits bring to the performance. Leading all the participants is Kent Nagano; this is his second Lohengrin on DVD; the earlier performance was equally as glorious as the Munich set. Thank God I don't have to choose one over the other since I already have the earlier set. Munich Opera has provided a number of performances that have been preserved on CD; I hope that his is merely the beginning of what could be a happy partnership between the company and DVD technology. The archives alone are mouth watering, e.g., Frosch, Arabella, et.al.What is controversial about the set is Richard Jones' concept. Two reviews I have read on line are essentially positive: Classics Today (Robert Levine) and Opera Today. For those interested in joining the fray Google "Lohengrin/Munich/2009"; I did not care for Jones' production of Hansel but then I am not that crazy about the opera. Lohengrin, however, was the apogee of German Romantic opera combinging myth and politics. In a sense they are in this production although most detractors are already hauling out the "Euro-Trash epithet. It is time to put this word to rest. To my mind it suggest that those who use it are unable to make a cogent remark concerning the work. This is not to say there are no bone headed productions that will irritate, aggravate and upset any number of auditors. But generally a fresh and unorthodox take on any work of art that is being recreated iis healthy for the art form. I can easily recommend this DVD for those with an open mind; others will have to weigh the positive elements against the production values that will doubtless upsset some opera goers.

I bought primarily because of Kaufmann...and he is great as usual. But the 'Eurotrash' interp... I am so tired of producers/directors who think we need a 'new' interpretation of a classic. Wagner would have shouted out loud and stormed out of the theatre. It is not as offensive as some other fiascos...but I doubt I will watch again except for a few arias. See instead the timeless Met production of 1986 with Marton and Hoffman.

Magnificently sung, played and conducted Eurotrash. Wagner would have detested it. I detest it. Why? Why? Why? No doubt endless learned, insightful, inspirational grounds can be adduced. They will simply be further rubbish. Listen with the picture off if you can - beginning of Act 3 will give an idea of musical quality. But to adapt a phrase of Eduard Hanslick, this production "stinks to the eye". What a shame! To end on a positive note, the intelligence and characterization of Michaela Schuster are just miraculous, as is the voice of Jonas Kaufmann. Indeed all four principals are simply superb. Watch, however, and you risk being turned into a pillar of salt!

I loved the singing:Jonas Kaufmann and Anja Harteros are musically wonderful and they both acted their parts so well they made the drama very believable. In fact, all the singing was first class as was the orchestra. I can't give this production five stars, however, because my enjoyment of the experience was constantly marred by the production which I found to be both silly and "naff." Although there was perhaps some merit in the idea of the house-building and the cradle, (representing hopes of future happiness and fulfilment which are later going to be destroyed) I found that the lighting, the sets and the costumes, especially the blue tee-shirts, made me think I was watching a children's TV programme - Blue Peter comes to mind. None of this seemed in keeping with the high drama and the powerful, grown-up emotions of Wagner's music. Nonetheless, if you can switch this off mentally and concentrate on the singers and the music, this is a superb production musically speaking, and I would certainly recommend it for this reason alone.

This is the one Wagner opera "Lohengrin," that I never knew, nor had ever seen until recently! It has Jonas Kaufmann as Lohengrin - That alone, sells it for me. This voice is incredible and coupled with his Hollywood looks and stage presence and power of interpretation - you would be a fool not to invest in this particular version. This man epitomises the visual of character - he fits the bill physically. I have seen him as Siegmund in Walkure as well as Caveradossi in Tosca - this man is unique - a great actor and singer.

Some of Wagner's most sublime music performed wonderfully by top-class singers but totally ruined by the utterly incongruous, crass and irrelevant production.

We loved everything about this production. Singers, chorus and orchestra were extremely moving.