Richard Wagner, 1813-1883. Overture to the opera ``Tannhäuser.'' Completed 1844, first performance of the opera Oct. 19, 1845, in Dresden. Scored for 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, tympani, and strings.
It is oddly amusing, yet also revealing, that Richard Wagner, a notorious womanizer who fathered three children by another man's wife, was fascinated by the concept of redemption through sacrificial love. A typical example can be found in the relatively early opera ``Tannhäuser,'' in which the title character is torn between the sinful pleasures of the goddess Venus and the religious purity of the simple Elisabeth, who eventually wins Tannhäuser in typical Wagnerian fashion by giving her life to a higher power.
Perhaps no other composer in history has aroused such passionate altercations between his supporters and detractors, and the reception accorded ``Tannhäuser'' serves as a miniature summary of those conflicts. The first performance was attacked by the critics, but by the third the house was filled and the people of Dresden applauded the work wildly. Yet other cities accorded it a mixed reception, and the opera was a financial disaster for the young composer. In an echo of modern Hollywood, one observer declared that the opera probably would have succeeded had the composer acceded to the popular taste for happy endings.
The overture was performed separately as early as 1846, drawing predictable barbs from conservative critics (``atrocious,'' ``awkward,'' ``tedious,'' and ``commonplace'' were some of the terms applied). To call these words unkind is an understatement, and they are certainly unjustified, since the rousing chorale that finishes the brief piece is one of the most majestic pieces of music ever written.
© 1998, Geoff Kuenning
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