Opera

Tannhäuser

Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner was Royal Kapellmeister in Dresden when he wrote his romantic opera »Tannhäuser and the Minnesingers’ Contest at the Wartburg« in 1845. At the heart of the story is the singer Tannhäuser, who seeks carnal pleasure and sensuality from Venus, the Goddess of Love, and yet quickly longs to return to the world of men.

But as soon as he has broken with Venus, he is no longer able to fit in with the expectations of polite society. There is a scandal when, taking part in a song contest on the theme of love, he sings the praises of uninhibited lust. Tannhäuser is sent to Rome to seek atonement. Director Peter Konwitschny has staged Richard Wagner’s opera as a sensuously comedic lesson about non-conformity, romantic yearning, desire and lost utopias. 

Grand romantic opera in three acts
Libretto by the composer

Performed in German with supertitles

Premiere
29. June 1997,

No further performances in the current season.

Please note: Some biographies reflect the information available at the time of the respective premiere date and are not necessarily updated on an ongoing basis.

Premiere cast

Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden
 Sinfoniechor Dresden – Extrachor der Semperoper Dresden
 Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden

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Tannhäuser

Richard Wagner was Royal Kapellmeister in Dresden when he wrote his romantic opera Tannhäuser and the Minnesingers’ Contest at the Wartburg in 1845. At the heart of the story is the singer Tannhäuser, who seeks carnal pleasure and sensuality from Venus, the Goddess of Love, and yet quickly longs to return to the world of men. But as soon as he has broken with Venus, he is no longer able to fit in with the expectations of polite society. There is a scandal when, taking part in a song contest on the theme of love, he sings the praises of uninhibited lust. Tannhäuser is sent to Rome to seek atonement. Director Peter Konwitschny has staged Richard Wagner’s opera as a sensuously comedic lesson about non-conformity, romantic yearning, desire and lost utopias. 
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