Lohengrin

I love this production. I must have watched the best parts of it for at least one thousand times! As always, when I watch Lohengrin, I wish so much that I could shout at Elsa to keep quiet... and let them have their wedding-night. But of course one cannot blame the production for this! :-)

The setting and costumes are traditional - as it should be. I hate it when they destroy the beauty, romance and high feelings of opera, by setting it in a modern contest. Opera should be escapism - not realism. And certainly not an attempt to "bring up" the audience... An opera ticket is very expensive, and I will not save up for having to watch the people of Brabant running around as rats... which was what happened in Bayreuth 2010. I cannot even enjoy the music during those circumstances. Opera is very much a visual experience as well!

The stage direction is superb. Some scenes are outstanding, and fill me with a sweet, melancholy longing... For example in act 1, when Elsa is laying on her knees on the floor, praying for a knight to come and save her... and then, suddenly, one hears the Graal motive - and the shadow of a knight with a sword in hand falls over her... or a little later, when Elsa is still kneeling in front of Lohengrin, and he kneels down also, and stretches out his hand and keeps it very still for a long time... until she dares to take it, and then he rises her up... or in the wedding chamber scene, when Lohengrin and Elsa are both so dignified and regal, when their attendants take off their outer garments... It is wonderful, wonderful! :-)

Peter Hofmann is a wonderful Lohengrin. Very knight-like, very prince-like... He IS Lohengrin! :-) It was such a pity that his prime was so short. Only four years later, when he reprized the role at the Metropolitan, both his voice and his face had coarsened...

As for Karan Armstrong, some people say nasty things about her. Such as that she would never have sung in Bayreuth, if she had not been married to one of the men with power there. I think this is bullshit! People miss that Elsa is SUPPOSED to be vulnerable. A woman with a strong voice, big body and forceful personality - such as Birgit Nilsson was - would be entirely wrong for the role.

I recommend this to everybody who loves Wagner!

Lohengrin is not my favourite Wagner opera, Tristan and Isolde is a contender for that, but it has a great story and some of Wagner's most sublime music. I love Wagner, his style may take some getting used to but it is unique and the more I hear his music the more compelling it gets.

Of the three productions I've seen(this, 1986 and 1990), this one's my favourite. The sets are basic in a sense but are good enough, and the costumes are great. The only disappointment in regard to the imagery was the swan, which was little more than a very faint glowing white disc in the background.

The orchestra apart from a first act prelude that could've been more opulent and a fatigued brass section towards the end are superb, the chorus are simply wonderful and the conducting is authoritative. The picture quality and camera work are pretty excellent, and the sound is clear and vibrant with only a few out-of-sync moments in act 3 disappointing a little.

I loved the performances. Peter Hoffmann is much better than he was in the 1986 Met production, more charisma, more nuances and more ring on the high notes. Karan Armstrong is a poignant Elsa with a great voice(even with some forced tone under pressure) and between her, Marton and Studer, she has the most subtle acting.

Elizabeth Connell I think will suffer in comparison to Astrid Varnay, Christa Ludwig and Leonie Rysanek, but while she doesn't quite ooze with malevolence the way the above did she sings and acts the role of Ortrud beautifully. Leif Roar is excellent as Telramund, he is outstanding as an actor and thankfully his high register isn't as overly-melodramatic as it was in the Met production.

Siegfried Vogel is a regal Henry, though his entrance could've been more of this. Bernd Weikl is as great as ever in a smaller role as the Herald.

All in all, very well done. 9/10 Bethany Cox