An Erotic 'Tannhäuser' in Bollywood Music and Vision March 23

An Erotic 'Tannhäuser' in Bollywood
GIUSEPPE PENNISI has mixed feelings
about La Scala's new Wagnerian production

The new La Scala production of Tannhäuser has been much awaited for three main reasons: the return of Zubin Mehta to conduct his first opera (as against concerts) in the Piermarini auditorium for thirty two years; the anticipation of La Scala 2013 Wagnerian celebration (including a full Ring); and the need for revamping due to the reputation of the theatre's Tannhäuser after the Curran-Tate production's mild flop in 2005. At the 17 March 2010 opening night, on which this review is based, the outcome was mixed.
As rightly pointed out in an old opera guide book (Gerhart con Westerman's Knaurs Operafürer Droemmersche Verlagsanstalt, 1952), in Tannhäuser, two worlds stand face to face -- the humility of the Middle Ages and the urge for freedom of the Renaissance. Both are illustrated in the libretto and explained by the music. In the overture, the pilgrims' simple folk song is contrasted with the glittering, iridescent series of melodies which depict the happy sensuality of the magic world of the Venusberg. These two basic symbols recur continually through the opera in various forms. From them spring the main moments of dramatic tensions, also because the confrontation between Middle Ages and Renaissance is mirrored in the interior conflict of the composer. The young Richard Wagner (then in his early thirties) was divided between two types of women: one is a saint (Elisabeth) and prays for him, the other (Venus), has a grip on the autobiographical singer Tannhäuser, an artist sated by orgies but plunged into an underground grotto of sin, amidst satyrs, fauns, bacchants and sirens. Medieval singing contests, authentic Minnesängers, scandalous songs praising sensual love, choirs and marches of pilgrims, wild dances, regrets, doubts and a sorrowful final redemption all reflect Wagner's romantic lacerations.

A scene from Wagner's 'Tannhäuser' at La Scala, Milan. Photo © 2010 Marco Brescia
In the first Act, the strongest effect lies in the abrupt change of atmosphere when the Venusberg collapses and all the magic of Venus' erotic, exciting music still echoes in one's ears while the limpid Spring air is already around us and an idyllic landscape delicately unfolds to the sound of shepherds' pipes and the pilgrims' hymn. The second Act is completely dominated by the figure of Elisabeth and the music is amazingly unified -- from the jubilation of her first aria through the shy reserve of her scene with Tannhäuser and the Landgrave to her passionate outburst in the finale. In the third Act, the two worlds are again frontally juxtaposed. The leitmotiv technique is used more consciously than in Wagner's previous opera, Der fliegende Hollander, especially clearly and effectively in the prelude to the third Act which describes Tannhäuser's pilgrimage to Rome: Elisabeth's leitmotiv shines as a guiding star to the unhappy man, whilst the journey is accompanied by the pilgrims' hymn with their tormented motif. Again leitmotives dominate Tannhäuser's great narration of his travel to Rome and back to Thuringia and the whole encompassing and truly engulfing finale.

A scene from Wagner's 'Tannhäuser' at La Scala, Milan. Photo © 2010 Marco Brescia
This new La Scala production was entrusted to the Catalan Group La Fura dels Baus and to director Carlus Padrissa. The action was moved -- maybe as an homage to Zubin Mehta -- to Rajastan India, as seen through a popular (perhaps B series) Bollywood movie. In short, we are closer to the 'Mother India' serial than to Peter Brook's Mahabaharata. To this end, a mixed musical version is utilized: most of the lusty first Act is from the 1861 Paris version, with most of the rest from the 1843 Dresden version. It does not help to have a compact musical performance, but allows La Fura dels Baus to indulge in a long orgy with mimes and projections and a short Kamasutra on the gamut of sexual positions without any gender or orientation discrimination.

A scene from Wagner's 'Tannhäuser' at La Scala, Milan. Photo © 2010 Marco Brescia
Venusberg is a lusty and sinful Indian mountain; the shepherd arrives on a flying machine and, in the second part of the First Act, the Minnesängers wear fatigues good for a war in the Khyber Pass. In all its gauche but glittering splendor, Bollywood dominates the second and the third Act with Elisabeth in a marvelous royal sari, Tannhäuser and Wolfram engaged in dialogues like Krishna and Arjuna (a clear reference to Mahabaharata), the pilgrims groping for Indus Basin rivers for bathing, but all of sudden, at the end of the third Act, on the laundry just washed in a holy lake and hung to dry by gentle ladies, an excerpt from a black-and-white documentary on Pope John Paul II is cast to show the redeeming Papal blessing on the sinner(s).

A scene from Wagner's 'Tannhäuser' at La Scala, Milan. Photo © 2010 Marco Brescia
So much for the stage production, booed from the upper tiers and mildly applauded by the orchestra seats and the central boxes. From the musical standpoint, although often in use in Germany since 1994, the mixed version is not as terse as the Dresden or as chromatic as the Paris (or its remake for Vienna). Thus, it is, in my view, a poor choice. It was aggravated by the fact that on 17 March, Mehta was not at his best. His musical direction was slow (the performance lasted over five hours, including two intermissions), the brass went pretty much on their own and the marvelous prelude to third Act sounded at the level of a musical comedy.

Robert Dean Smith and Anja Harteros in Wagner's 'Tannhäuser' at La Scala, Milan. Photo © 2010 Marco Brescia
To Mehta's credit, it is to be stressed that he went a long way to help the singers: Robert Dean Smith (Tannhäuser) focused on the central register because he was in difficulties with the acute, Roman Trekel (Wolfram) has a lovely baritone timber but a small volume at risk of being overwhelmed by the orchestra and, in most of the second Act, by the powerful Georg Zeppenfield (The Landgrave). Julia Gertseva (Venus) does not have a pleasant voice but enjoys plenty of it, as well as excellent acting. Anja Harteros was simply exquisite as Elisabeth (in spite of the required Bollywood bows). The choruses -- from La Scala, directed by Bruno Casoni, and Voci Bianche, directed by Alfonso Caiani -- were excellent.
Copyright © 20 March 2010 Giuseppe Pennisi,
Rome, Italy

RICHARD WAGNER
TANNHAEUSER
LA SCALA
ZUBIN MEHTA
GERMANY
ITALY
INDIA
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