Clever direction and an exciting role debut: Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” in Zurich. – Culture

Although this new production of Richard Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” at the Zurich Opera House in no way ironizes the work, there is a fantastic joke here. In the first act, Tannhäuser returns from Venusberg to the world of his fellow singers. He meets Landgrave Hermann, Wolfram von Eschenbach and the other four singers; they come with a car, a Mercedes hearse. This can definitely be seen as a homage to the legendary production of “Tannhäuser” by Tobias scratch in Bayreuth. You can see the inside big in the video, Wolfram, Christian Gerhaher, is at the wheel, defending himself against the nagging of the others, after all he has to drive. And then the vehicle crashes roughly onto the stage. Next to him, Hermann, Christof Flammesser, is leaning far back in the passenger seat. Fischesser plays the lower-pitched Landgrave with terrific fervor, he also gives the character much more life than usual as the character progresses, his voice is outstandingly crisp.