Tannhäuser, Zurich opernhaus, 20-01- 2013.

A hero torn between sexual love on the one hand with a sex symbol, named Venus, the real mythical goddess of love, sex and fertility, and on the other hand longs for pure love in the person of Elisabeth he will meet again when he finally leaves the shores of Venus : This is not easy to deal with during nearly four hours of music and singing! Human nature is naturally unsatisfied, it takes nearly the whole first act for Tannháuser to explain to the goddess he wants to go back to his previous life, regain his freedom and suffer again like every human being. In other words he is fed up with a life of sex and endless pleasures where he is under the charm and seduction of this enchantress even if he is inspired and charms her with his passionate songs played on his harp, well here, it is a rock-star guitar! On sunday evening, sitting rather comfortably on the second row, third balcony, with a restricted view of the far left front side of the stage, I, too, fell under the spell of Vesselina Kasarova's Venus. In her red soft veiled dress with greyish and black tinges she looked unreal and the power of her voice added to her charms. The couple Seiffert-Kasarova shared tremendous singing, rocking over the diluvial orchestra at times. When they rolled from their kind of suspended swinging board on to the floor and both grabbed the rock-star guitar(why not?)with equal passion in singing, I thought he sure is a silly fool to upset his wondrous machiavelic hostess and her court! ( lavish dancers all around the stage for the Venusberg) The first act went by like a dream! The orchestra had everything to seduce the listener I was, I rejoiced at the opportunity to be in this prestigious house for this music, specially this Wagner opera I have always enjoyed listening to! When Venus turned nasty, I loved it even more as Vesselina Kasarova played it with gestures which reminded me of a kabuki actress, her face had expressions of an Asian mask when she sang angrily at her lover, and what amazing colours in her voice too! She is a grand Venus for sure! I thought I had exhausted my capacity of admiration when Venus left, casting bad spell on her lover's betrayal, then appeared a glittering blue angel in long dress and beautiful black curly hair braided on the side of her face, who greeted us sitting on the other side of an empty singing Hall shaped like a modern theater with rows of covered seats, spotlights and a mixing table on the side, plus projections of time ( I think, not quite sure it could be recording speed...like in a recording studio?). Then I was under another kind of spell! Just like our hero who seeks purity and by hailing Virgin Mary goes back to earth and lands in his own valley, I felt like heaven when Anja Harteros began her beautiful greeting of the singing Hall where she fell in love with Tannhäuser 's singing. She is expecting to meet him again. Her voice had thrills of joy absolutely clear and resounding! she was beaming with joy in her welcoming us really, and I felt so happy! Her shining blue dress made her look divine! What a voice too! There was a grand piano on the stage of this Hall facing us.. later on, in their unique love duet, they both lay on the top of it and it was so innocent compared to the previous scene with Venus. What is also amazing is that she managed to be the archangel who will be her lover's savior and has also a definite feminine and carnal presence, her singing was amazing and utterly moving right through. The last act is the best one in this production. It takes place in a station hall, with a row of seats in the middle, perpendicular to the front stage and glass panels limiting the space at the back with doors. A woman in love is waiting for the return of her love, plain trenchcoat on a dark long skirt, her hair tight at the back slightly dishevelled... very anxious to find him among a crowd of men. They could be any type of modern crowd, prisoners of war, exiles, Wagner wanted them to be ex-sinners having gained their repentance on a pilgrimage to Rome. Tannhäuser is not in this crowd, and even if Elisabeth prays for him and departs from this world, he will not be saved by the Pope, lust is a serious crime! Anja Hareteros had lost her angel like appearance and looked abandoned, then she walked off after her prayer, her head up and that is all. There is a much awaited aria which made me love this opera so much, the hymn to the star. Wolfram who loves Elisabeth but wants also to help Tannhäuser, sings to the star a kind of prayer to protect Elisabeth in her journey to heaven, saving her lover's soul, sacrificing herself for him. In this empty stage, sitting on the station seat, Michael Nagy's singing had more to it than a romantic prayer to ask protection for Elisabeth. I could feel also his own melancholy, too after such hard sufferings from the hero, and himself sharing Elisabeth's sorrows too. Many thanks for this wonderful rendition to http://www.youtube.com/user/SatanAteMySocks?feature=watch If the end followed the story written by Wagner, there were moments in this production which could have been out of time and space to be only human, like this opening of the third act in the empty station. It stroke my imagination a lot and made the singers look intense and more real. there were also funny ones like the return of the hero welcomed by his companion singers at a posh golf-club, Hermann( smashing Jon-hendrik Rootering) being the president of the club I suppose. The song contest took place in this modern hall and followed the story. I noticed discreet giggles around me when the rock guitar first appeared. I quite liked the hero wearing a dark leather coat and rock star outfit. I enjoyed Anja Harteros a lot in this role, she looked so humble at the curtain calls, she is fantastic. Vesselina Kasarova managed to look weary and aged when she left for good! Her attitude at the curtain calls was charming too, they left the stage in a kind gesture of embrace, the two together! I would have liked to take this photo but I was cheering them,(clapping !) knowing I might not see them again for long... The orchestra and the conductor, the choir and the whole cast were amazing that night at Zurich Opernhaus. May be there will be some recording made ? Why is it only the Met which seems to be broadcast nearly everywhere? More photos of the evening :two fom the opernhaus MAG 05 and one of the town during the last interval.