(Photo credit: © Bettina Stöss) Of all Wagner’s operas, “Tannhäuser” remains one of his most contentious works — a piece celebrated for balancing sublime beauty with moments of profound unease. At its core lies the agonizing struggle between sacred and profane love, embodied in the sensual allure of the Venusberg and the rigid piety of the Wartburg court — a {…}
(Photos: © Marcus Lieberenz / Bettina Stöß) The plot of “Lohengrin” is drawn from medieval German literature, a tale of chivalric values set in tenth-century Northern Germany. In this production, the stage during the prelude presents the aftermath of a battle, with corpses scattered across the scene and a comet—possibly Halley’s, which passed in 913 AD—brightening the night sky. Director {…}
(© Enrico Nawrath) A well-loved conductor at the Bayreuth Festival, Christian Thielemann, who made his début on the Green Hill in 2000 overseeing a dynamic performance of “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” served Bayreuth as its music director from 2015 to 2020. Therefore, it is good to see him back this year conducting “Lohengrin” which he originally took charge of in {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its performance of “Lohengrin” on March 24. The company said that Miina-Liisa Värelä will sing the role of Ortrud replacing the originally scheduled Iréne Theorin, who currently has an infection in the vocal chords. Värelä already sang the March 17 performance also replacing Theorin. Värelä is a soprano who {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its March 21 performance of “Lohengrin.” The company said that soprano Okka von der Damerau will take on the role of Ortrud replacing Iréne Theorin, who is still suffering from an infection in one of her vocal cords. Von der Damerau performed on March 19, also replacing Theorin. The {…}
Malmö Opera has announced that it will present “Lohengrin” this fall. The Wagner opera hits the stage on Oct. 26, 2025 in a production directed by Charlotte Engelkes who noted in a press release that “I think fairy tales have a power to teach. The story of the Swan Knight that Elsa saw in her dream, and who later comes {…}
(Photo Credit: San Francisco Opera) On November 1, at 8 p.m. (PDT), the new film, “Eun Sun Kim: A Journey Into Lohengrin,” was broadcast for the first time, although being available for viewing already. Featuring the Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim and her labors around the preparation of San Francisco Opera’s 2023 production of Wagner’s “Lohengrin,” the behind-the-scenes film is {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has unveiled its 2025 season. The season opens with “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” starring Michael Spyres, Georg Zeppenfeld, Christina Nilsson, Christa Mayer, and Matthias Stier. Daniele Gatti conducts and Matthias Davids directs. Performance Dates: July 25 – August 22, 2025 Valentin Schwarz’s “Das Rheingold” will be conducted by Simone Young and features Tomas Konieczny, Olafur Sigurdarson, Daniele Behle, {…}
The Staatsoper Berlin has announced a cast change for its performance of “Lohengrin” on April 24, 2024. The company said, “For the second to last performance of Wagner’s ‘LOHENGRIN’ tonight, we are so grateful to Klaus Florian Vogt for jumping in spontaneously as the Lohengrin tonight- thank you!” He will replace Andreas Schager, who returns to the production on April {…}
The Opéra de Paris has announced a change for its Oct. 27 performance due to the National Strike. The company said that “due to a nationwide strike affecting the cultural sector and involving some staff at the Paris Opera, the performance of the opera ‘Lohengrin‘ on Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 pm will be given in a concert version.” As {…}
Richard Wagner fell in love with the story of Lohengrin. How could he not? A handsome knight, with a golden disposition of purity, nobility and generosity. The son of Parsifal. The leader of the Grail. Destined to rescue, save and uplift all who needed rescuing and salvation. With soaring and beauteous romantic melodies, rich choral support, dazzling duets between glorious {…}