- Tampere Opera premiere in Tampere Hall 1 March 2012
Musical director Hannu Lintu
Stage director Vilppu Kiljunen
Visual design Kimmo Viskari
Light design Jussi Kamunen
Chorus master Heikki Liimola
Richard Decker, tenor (Tannhäuser)
Elisabet Strid, soprano (Elisabeth)
Johanna Rusanen-Kartano, soprano (Venus)
Gabriel Suovanen, baritone (Wolfram von Eschenbach)
Mika Kares, bass (Hermann)
Dan Karlström, tenor (Walther von der Vogelweide)
Ville Rusanen, bass (Biterolf)
Petri Bäckström, tenor (Heinrich der Schreiber)
Petri Lindroos, bass (Reinmar von Zweter)
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
Tampere Opera choir
According to the stage director Vilppu Kiljunen Tannhäuser brings the audience face to face with the most fundamental questions of humanity. Two major themes emerge from the content of the work: the relation of the individual to love and the relation of the individual to personal freedom. On the other hand Wagner’s music may seduce the listener to surrender to the grandiloquent romantic surge. A work which may superficially actually appear facile grows into a penetrating contemplation of the human condition.
“For me Tannhäuser is something in the nature of a modern passion play about modern man. The perspective is on an individual born into maelstrom of nineteenth-century industrialization when the grand archaic myths were beginning to crumble. As a figure Tannhäuser is closely related to Parsifal and so to the Christ of our Christian mythology. And this is how Tannhäuser is to be interpreted: rebellious, utterly capable of loving, but unconventional, vehemently opposed to double morality void of spirituality.
Tannhäuser is situated in our world, it takes place under our firmament as it takes shape on stage. Under this firmament on the face of the earth is where the Minnesänger wandered, the great composers of the nineteenth century, the interpreters of our own era – restless, conscious of their own inadequacy and need for spiritual endeavour, troubled by what they felt to be false. Tannhäuser is to be conceived of as a portrayal of the creative urge, of ecstasy, doubt and love. The listener cannot but be impressed by the composer’s visionary exaltation in the throes of his subject. Over the individual’s bitterest experiences the faith in a higher being takes precedence, passing judgment on the erroneous decisions of earthly power. In the last instance mercy will prevail.”
Produced by Tampere Hall
Updated: 06.03.2012
