Holy Tannhäuser, Batman! Baremboim and Berlin: 2014

 Need Another Tannhäuser?

As is usually the case with me, when something grabs me - as did the Met's recent Tannhäuser -shouting protests notwithstanding  - I ended up listening to and watching three more Tannhäuseren First, the old Met cast of Cassily, Troyanos, Marton, Weikl,MacCurdy, Levine, next the premiere of the current run, and just now, finished the 2014 Staatsoper Under den Linden, which I'd heard, but never seen. While I was mildly hesitant with the staging after the Venusberg, it not only grew on me, it drew me in a manner more than an evening of traditional Medieval tableau (which I love and am NOT bashing so just STOP). Once I settled in I found the staging, directed by Sasha Waltz, who with Pia Maier Schriever designed it, together with superb costuming by Bernd Skadzig and the tremendous lighting design of  David Fin to be enormously powerful and I was, moved to tears at all the appropriate moments, but also in a few surprising places.  

Waltz, a renowned dancer and choreographer, infused every moment of her Tannhäuser with  dance and movement, at times making it feel almost like a physical manifestation of a moto perpetuo.  The Venusberg crowd (in a variety of costumes once they don actual clothing) wend and work their way into every scene, as observers, pilgrims, Elisabeth's family, and more. Their  gestures in and around the principal characters add depth rather than detract from the telling of this redemption tale. 

Musically, this performance is nearly ideal. As Heinrich/Tannhäuser Peter Seiffert is in his 60's and looks every one of those years, and vocally, at times sounds older than that.  And yet, there is still beauty in the voice when it isn't pushed and remains within a narrow range - mostly the mid-upper. Low notes can growl and higher passages feel pushed and can be both throaty and then switch on a dime, to thin and strain-y. Somehow he makes all of this work for him and the intensity of his Heinrich feels personal. In that vein, the Rome Narrative is rough going, but again, Tannhäuser is a man who's been to hell and back (so to speak) and the interaction between him and Wolfram is great theatre. 

As Wolfram, I honestly can't think of a performance (at least now) as beautifully perfect as nor as emotionally on the nose as As Peter Mattei's turn here. The man is, as ever, a masterful actor and the opening scenes of the third act are, for me, the heart of the opera. His commentary on, then scene with Elisabeth, found me (again) in tears and it all segued into the breathtaking beauty of O du mein holder Abendstern.  Waltz gives Wolfram some odd, dancerly moves to perform and poses to strike, but like elsewhere these do not deter but rather embellish the meaning of the opera's most beautiful aria.  Mattei takes on the dance and the gestures, and, with nothing on stage but Elisabeth's shoes and his shadow, through that gently commanding voice nearly steals the entire evening.

Ann Petersen imbues Elisabeth with angel-like purity, through a voice capable of sounding equal parts girlishly youthful, devout, and passionate.  She is truly ideal as Elisabeth. We don't see her name much here, but I just read an excellent  review of her in a revival of Simon Stone's brilliant Tristan (on video with Nina Stemme and Stuart Skelton), and I'd like to hear more, and how the voice has held up.

While he still sings beautifully, hearing the 2014 René Pape as Landraf is almost jaw dropping. It's a voice lesson in accuracy, conveyance of emotion, a seamless legato line and . . . well, he is simply marvelous. 

The rest of the cast all measure up, but I have to bring up the Venus. Gott in himmel (what an inappropriate phrase for this character!). While I still carry a torch for Troyanos (and Dame Gwyneth) Marina Prudenskaya's Venus is the epitome of schoolboy sexual fantasies.  Mama Mia.  Gorgeous and lithe she also posseses that both cuts and slinks through the siren's call with erotic venom. 

Barenboim leads the Berlin forces - chorus and orchestra in a glowing, dramatically propulsive reading that vibrates even in its quietest passages (i.e., Wolfram's Evening Star) and thrills from first note to last.  I don't know what other platforms it's on, but I do know it's yet another performance keeping me glued to MediciTV.