2007/2008 Season Opera
10th Anniversary Festival
[New Production]

Richard Wagner : TANNHÄUSER UND DER SÄNGERKRIEG AUF WARTBURG

OPERA HOUSE

Hermann	:	Hans Tschammer
Tannhäuser	:	Albert Bonnema
Wolfram von Eschenbach	:	Martin Gantner
Walther von der Vogelweide	:	Richard Brunner
Biterolf	:	Oshima Ikuo
Heinrich der Schreiber	:	Takahashi Jun
Reinmar von Zweter	:	Kotetsu Kazuhiro
Elisabeth	:	Ricarda Merbeth
Venus	:	Linda Watson
Ein junger Hirt	:	Yoshihara Keiko

October 2007	8	11	14	17	21	24
	Mon	Thu	Sun	Wed	Sun	Wed
2:00	X		X	X	X
5:30		X				X

Doors will open 45 minutes before the opening of the performance.

	S	A	B	C	D	Z
Price(yen)	26,250	21,000	14,700	8,400	5,250	1,500

With this masterwork the supreme composer of opera, Richard Wagner, freed himself from Italian operatic conventions and laid the foundation for his transformation of opera—which he called “music drama”—into his vision of “total artwork” (Gesamtkunstwerk). The inherent struggle in the human heart between passion and pure love, reality and illusion, is given dynamic life. In addition to the Grand March that will be instantly familiar to anyone, it is filled with great music and spectacular scenes, from the Overture and Tannhäuser’s “Rome Narrative” to the Venusburg ballet and the singing competition. With a splendid cast of singers steeped in the Wagnerian tradition, it starts the new season with a flourish.

Medieval Germany. The knight Tannhäuser has become prisoner to the sensual charms of the goddess Venus, but after a time even this pleasure palls, he returns to the human world, where the pure love of the maiden Elizabeth awaits him. He is warmly welcomed, but in the singing competition at the castle, he finds himself singing the praises of sensual love (Venus). In order to expiate this sin he goes on a pilgrimage of contrition to the Pope in Rome, but fails to receive the absolution he seeks. In despair, he returns of the comforts of sensual love. However, Elizabeth sacrifices her own life to atone for his sins, and granted salvation, Tannhäuser joins her in death.