Once again experiencing Richard Wagner’s glorious “Tannhauser,” at San Diego Opera (SDO) Saturday night, brought with it the conviction that another Ring Cycle (written 1848-1874) during this life is a necessary thing. The singing in this new SDO production is exceptional, the orchestra and chorus are thrilling and the visual effects as wondrous and magical a spectacle as any witnessed. All these plus lots of stage smoke and scrims add up to four engrossing hours of music drama.
Wagner, whose influence on all that came afterward is profound, broke all the rules of harmony, orchestration and vocal writing. He believed that orchestral music, voices, visual effects and storytelling are of equal importance in the creation of music drama.
Wagner did not waver from this belief, writing all his own librettos with one exception, the incomplete 1832 opera, “Die Hochzeit.” Most of the librettos are based on literature and legend, as is “Tannhauser,” the story of Heinrich Tannhauser, an errant knight of the Wartburg castle in the 13th century.
When the opera begins, Tannhauser (glorious, indefatigable American-born German heldentenor Robert Gambill) has tarried with Venus (German mezzo-soprano Petra Lang, utterly gorgeous, with beauteous vocal steel), the pagan goddess of love, for more than a year, beguiled by pleasures of the flesh. Longing for home and even craving the strife of mortal existence, Tannhauser calls on the Virgin Mary, and Venusberg dissolves.
Waking at a roadside prayer station, Tannhauser sees pilgrims returning from Rome. He meets the noble and pure knight Wolfram von Eschenbach (Canadian baritone Russell Braun, an excellent actor with a lovely top voice) in company of Landgraf Hermann (Reinhard Hagen, mellifluous German bass) and other minnesinger/knights (Martin Zysset, Andrew Greenan, Simon Esper and Scott Sikon) of the Wartburg.
The act ends with a glorious septet as his former companions persuade Tannhauser to return to the Wartburg and the Landgraf’s virtuous niece (Elisabeth, marvelously sung by Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund in her American opera debut), who still loves him. Nylund and Gambill are a match in beauty, and their surroundings, especially Wartburg, remind one of design aspects in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings.” James Mulder based the opera’s scenic design on those of Gunther Schneider Siemssen.
The singing contest takes place at the intersection of two kinds of love, the pure ideal represented by Elisabeth and the pagan by Venus, who quite obviously still controls Tannhauser’s mind and tongue. He is nearly killed by the outraged knights, but saved by Elisabeth, he sets out to Rome to ask the Pope’s forgiveness. Wolfram, who truly loves Elisabeth in pure fashion, sings a beauteous hymn to her after she divulges plans to die so she can intercede directly with the Virgin Mary on Tannhauser’s behalf. The Pope has declared that Tannhauser could be forgiven as easily as his papal staff burst into bloom ” in other words, never. Tannhauser is redeemed as he swoons onto Elisabeth’s bier. Runners from Rome bear the blooming staff. Elisabeth’s prayers have been answered.
OK, so it’s a soppy story. Wag-ner, the music, the magnificent singer/actors, San Diego Symphony under the baton of Gabor Otvos and the spectacle redeem even that.
Remaining “Tannhauser” performances are scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 at the Civic Theatre, 202 C St., San Diego. Tickets are $28-$160. If available, $20 rush tickets are sold 90 minutes prior to curtain, one per person, cash or credit card.
For information, visit www.sdopera.com or call (619) 533-7000.