Graz Opera

A dark “Tannhäuser” opens the season

Samuel Sakker as Tannhäuser, Mareike Jankowski as Venus

(Bild: Werner Kmetitsch)

The Graz Opera started the season with Richard Wagner's "Tannhäuser". Principal conductor Vassilis Christopoulos provided a musical event, director Evgeny Ivanov a surprising production and the ensemble a cheering performance.

Smelly and intoxicated by drugs in his self-imposed isolation or as a party crasher in the Landgrave's lofty hall, somehow the once acclaimed singer Tannhäuser no longer seems to get a foot on the ground in director Evgeny Titov's interpretation.

Whether on the Venusberg, which only exists in his foggy imagination, or on the pilgrimage to Rome, he is always denied fulfillment. The excessive artist cannot cope with the narrow moral and value concepts of his environment. But neither can he do without them. So he always longs for what he doesn't have. Of course, this also makes him a reflection of our own dissatisfaction.

With Evgeny Titov, Ulrich Lenz has brought one of the most hyped directors of our time to Graz. That raised expectations high! But the Kazakh-born director surprised us with an almost conventional interpretation very close to the work. Subliminally, however, the image of a society that has already fallen from the edge into the abyss made its way through and, despite a poetic final image, left a sting in the tail of this evening.

The redemption of the tormented artist's soul at the end, Tannhäuser (Samuel Sakker) resists temptation with the help of Wolfram (Nkita Ivasechko).

(Bild: Werner Kmetitsch)

Christian Schmidt's stage design also supported this dark basic feeling with the ground breaking away underfoot, an abyss in which only despair and emptiness can be found. Esther Bialas' costumes are less appealing.

Excitement came from the orchestra pit, where Vassilis Christopoulos prepared a musical feast with the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra (especially the excellent wind players). A drama of the soul was created here in a differentiated and highly emotional manner, which was rightly cheered enthusiastically. The choirs also performed exceptionally well.

A singing festival with surprises
And the evening is also a singing festival. Erica Eloff gave an impressive role debut as Elisabeth, convincing with loud cheers as well as with her accomplished tones. The surprise of the evening, however, was neo-ensemble member Nikita Ivasechko as Wolfram von Eschenbach. He guided his baritone, which is endowed with immense colorfulness, through the cliffs of this role with astonishing ease. Samuel Sakker was not particularly successful in the title role. Insecure at the beginning and later sometimes overwhelmed, he did not really find his way around the German speech melody either.

The performances of the house ensemble were outstanding, with Wilfried Zelinka as the Landgrave and Mareike Janowski as Venus standing out. The Graz Opera certainly made a strong start to the season with this "Tannhäuser".