The World's Most Famous Operas — 'Tannhäuser'

Composed by: Richard Wagner (1813–1883)

Rendered into Arabic by: Samir Shikhani

An opera in three acts, first produced in Dresden in 1845.

The characters:

• Count Hermann: a nobleman of Thuringia
• Elisabeth: his brother's daughter
• Tannhäuser
• Wolfram
• Biterolf
wandering minstrels
• Venus, goddess of love
• A shepherd

The Three Graces, nymphs, water nymphs, gods of the waters and the forests, priestesses of the god Bacchus, nobles, knights, ladies, pilgrims.

Time: the early thirteenth century.

Place: in the castle of Wartburg and near it, in the province of Thuringia, Germany.

Act One

Scene One: a cave in the mountain.

We are in a deep cave in the mountain known as the Venusberg, where Venus, the goddess of pagan love, presides over her court, surrounded by water nymphs, priestesses of the god Bacchus, and gods of the waters and forests. The cave is lit by faint, many-colored lights and wrapped in a thin, rose-tinted mist. Venus reclines upon a soft couch, and at her feet sits Tannhäuser. The nymphs perform a dance that grows wilder and more clamorous little by little, then breaks off briefly, and from afar is heard a chorus of nymphs singing a love song marked by a quiet sensuality, in contrast with the frenzied, exciting dance. The dance resumes, mounts to a violent climax, then dies away. The dancers sink to the ground to rest, mist fills the cave, and nothing can be seen in the foreground but Venus, Tannhäuser, and the Three Graces. Soon these Graces dance languidly, and at the back of the cave appears a vision representing two legends: Europa and the white bull, and Leda and the goose.

The Graces vanish, leaving Venus and Tannhäuser alone. The latter trembles; Venus caresses him and asks what troubles him. He answers that he dreams of his life on this earth, of the pealing of bells, of the nightingale's warbling. She hands him his lute and asks him to sing the delights of love; he complies and sings, with warmth and feeling, the 'Hymn to Venus.'

Once again the voices of the nymphs are heard, echoing gently from afar.

Tannhäuser repeats his praise of Venus, but insists that he has fallen prey to weariness and boredom and must be given his freedom. A year of excess in pleasures has sated his appetite, and he longs for human life with its griefs and joys. Venus implores him to stay, then menaces and threatens him; he answers that his faith rests in the Blessed Virgin — and no sooner does he utter the Virgin's name than the pagan spell of Venus shatters upon the instant, the magic cave with its perfumed air vanishes, and Tannhäuser finds himself, without having taken a single step, standing in a mountain valley near the castle of Wartburg.

Scene Two: a mountain valley.

It is a bright spring morning, and sunlight floods the valley. On the crest of one of the hills at the back, the castle of Wartburg stands out clear-cut against the pure blue sky. Near the spot where Tannhäuser stands is a solitary shrine to the Virgin Mary. The tinkling of cattle bells is heard, and on a grassy knoll sits a little shepherd, blowing on his pipe and repeating a simple song in glorification of spring.

A caravan of pilgrims passes there on its way to Rome, singing the pilgrims' hymn. Tannhäuser, who has not moved until that moment, falls prostrate before the shrine and prays for the forgiveness of his sins and transgressions as the pilgrims' song fades away. Now new and different sounds are heard — the sounds of hunting horns — growing louder as they approach. Some knights arrive, returning from a hunt. Tannhäuser springs to his feet; they recognize him, between astonishment and delight, and welcome him home. But they are eager to know where he has been all the past year, and he answers them evasively, saying that wandering has been written upon him and he cannot dwell in any place. His old friend Wolfram, however, begs him to remain among them, telling him that the Princess Elisabeth longs for him and for his songs, and that she has not crossed the threshold of the 'Hall of the Minstrels' since he vanished so strangely. At the mention of Elisabeth's name Tannhäuser embraces his friend and greets the rest of the knights. Other knights arrive and join in this happy meeting, and within a few minutes all move on toward the castle of Wartburg.

Act Two

The scene: the 'Hall of the Minstrels' at the Wartburg.

Count Hermann holds a singing contest in honor of the return of Tannhäuser, the most famous of all singers; the first prize, for the victor in it, is to be the hand of Elisabeth, his brother's daughter, who is madly in love with Tannhäuser and for whom Wolfram, Tannhäuser's friend, harbors his own love. The contest is to take place in the spacious hall of Wartburg castle, with its Romanesque arches, the elegant throne reserved for the Count and Elisabeth, and the rows of seats for the knights and their ladies.

Elisabeth enters the hall alone, dressed in her most splendid robes, and sings the song 'Once more I greet thee, beloved hall!' Then Wolfram arrives with Tannhäuser in his company; the latter joins Elisabeth and together, in her happiness, they sing the song of reunion, which opens 'O sacred hour,' while Wolfram withdraws and sits at the back rows.

The repentant Tannhäuser begs Elisabeth not to mention the year that has passed since their parting, nor to ask him where he has been. It is enough that he has returned, and that they love one another. This reaches Wolfram's ear, and he perceives that his love for Elisabeth is without hope.

The hour of the contest draws near, and Hermann and his niece greet each knight and lady as the two advance to their appointed place, to the strains of the 'Tannhäuser march' played by the brass band.

To the right sit the members of the jury; above them, on the throne, Hermann and Elisabeth; to the left, the six contending knights of poetry and song, among them Tannhäuser and Wolfram, with servants attending to their comfort. He delivers a speech of welcome to them, and Elisabeth draws from a vessel the name of the first singer: it proves to be Wolfram's. He takes up his lute and sings a song glorifying spiritual love, 'In Praise of Love,' into which he pours his faithful love for Elisabeth — that love which he does not declare aloud.

Tannhäuser is irritated by Wolfram's singing; scarcely has the latter finished when he seizes his lute and rises to express his contempt for so paltry a love as Wolfram sings. Carried away by emotion, he plunges into a merry love song dripping with sensuality, 'O Goddess of Love.' Amazement seizes the members of the jury, especially as the song grows ever more wanton and licentious. A knight more stubborn and hardened than the rest, named Biterolf, interrupts him and rebukes him angrily, and soon draws his sword when Tannhäuser goes on singing.

The Count orders Biterolf to lower his sword; order is restored, and an attempt is made to continue the contest. Wolfram begins to sing anew, but Tannhäuser interrupts him, repeating his glorification of Venus and saying that he alone, of all those present, knows the true delights of love, having learned them from Venus herself. Thus all learn that Tannhäuser has visited the Venusberg. The ladies flee in terror, while Elisabeth remains, robbed of movement by what she has heard. And as the knights draw their swords, threatening to kill the errant Tannhäuser, she rushes from her throne and pleads for his pardon in a tender song opening 'I intercede for him.'

At last the Count rises and pronounces the sentence of banishment upon Tannhäuser as punishment for his blasphemy, bidding him join a company of pilgrims about to set out for Rome, that he may win the pardon of His Holiness the Pope. As for Tannhäuser, he by then feels remorse for what he has done, and throws himself to the ground at Elisabeth's feet; then he rises to join the pilgrims, whose singing is heard as they cross the valley.

He submits to the sentence, repeating 'To Rome!' — and as the curtain falls the knights are heard echoing his words.

Act Three

The scene: before the shrine at which Tannhäuser stopped to pray in the second scene of Act One.

It is autumn in the valley of the Wartburg, and the day is near its close, in keeping with this dead season. There, before the shrine standing at the roadside, Elisabeth kneels, praying silently and quietly for Tannhäuser's salvation. Soon the singing of the pilgrims echoes as they return from Rome, where they were absolved of their sins. Elisabeth rises and peers, anxious and troubled, into the faces of the returning pilgrims. When the last of them passes, she perceives that Tannhäuser has not returned.

She kneels again, sad and sorrowful, and lifts to the Virgin Mary a moving prayer from her inmost depths, begging that she be borne up to heaven, so that she may there intercede for the salvation of her beloved knight. No sooner has she finished the prayer than Wolfram comes forward, asking to escort her home; she declines his request with gentleness and courtesy and slowly takes the forest path leading to the castle.

Wolfram remains alone on the stage, which darkness gradually envelops, and sings the famous 'Song to the Evening Star.' As he ends it, Tannhäuser enters, in so pitiable a state that one looking at him would scarcely know him. He tells his old friend what has happened. To his supplications to the Pope for forgiveness, the answer was: 'If you have tasted the delights of hell where Venus dwells, then you are accursed forever. And as my dry staff will never blossom, so you will never attain salvation.'

Tannhäuser's hopes have evaporated, and only one desire remains to him: to return to the arms of Venus. At the back there rises a vision representing the goddess of love and the Venusberg. Wolfram tries to prevent his friend from going, but the latter's ears hear nothing save Venus's seductive song, and he is on the point of rushing toward the Venusberg when Wolfram utters the name 'Elisabeth.' At once the vision melts away as if by magic, and remorse overcomes Tannhäuser.

Down the winding pass descends a procession bearing the body of Elisabeth, who has met her death as she asked in her prayer. A new caravan of pilgrims appears — a miracle has come to pass! These pilgrims carry the Pope's staff, and it has blossomed and clothed itself in fresh green leaves. It is the sign of Tannhäuser's salvation and the forgiveness of his sins, won for him by Elisabeth's devotion. Tannhäuser throws himself upon the bier amid the pilgrims' singing. Sacred love has triumphed!