Richard Wagner - TANNHÄUSER - Elisabeth's Prayer (Birgit Nilsson)

TANNHÄUSER UND DER SÄNGERKRIEG AUF WARTBURG
Romantische Oper in 3 Akten
Composer and librettist: Richard Wagner
First performance: Königliches Hoftheater, Dresden, 19 October 1845.
Revised: Paris Opéra (salle Le Peletier), 13 March 1861

SETTING: Eisenach, Germany, in the early 13th century.

PLOT: Tannhäuser, a Minnesinger (a minstrel-knight and writer of poems of courtly love), has quarreled with the other Minnesingers and spent a year with Venus, the goddess of carnal love, in her grotto in the Venusberg. He frees himself from her spell by invoking the Virgin Mary, and returns to the world of men. The minnesingers persuade him to return to the court of the Landgrave of Thuringia. There, a tournament of poetry is held, at which Elisabeth, the Landgraf’s niece and Tannhäuser’s lover, presides. Tannhäuser, irritated by the other minnesingers’ bland songs, sings a song in praise of Venus. All recoil as they realise that he has been to the Venusberg. The Landgraf and knights condemn Tannhäuser to death, but Elisabeth begs for mercy; surely, she asks, a sinner should seek atonement? The Landgrave exiles Tannhäuser and orders him to go on pilgrimage to Rome. When the pilgrims return, however, Tannhäuser is not among them. He appears at last, and tells his friend Wolfram von Eschenbach that, although he mortified his flesh and sought to atone his sins, the Pope would not forgive him. Only when the Pope’s staff brought forth green leaves would Tannhäuser be forgiven. Knowing this to be impossible, the weary minnesinger has resolved to return to Venus. As she appears, however, a funeral procession enters, carrying Elisabeth’s body on a bier. She has gone to heaven to pray for Tannhäuser’s soul. Pilgrims enter, carrying a priest’s staff bearing green leaves: Tannhäuser’s soul has been saved.

Elisabeth's prayer: "Allmächt'ge Jungfrau! Hör mein Flehen"
Elisabeth prays to the Virgin; she will go to heaven to secure Tannhäuser's salvation.

Elisabeth, Nichte des Landgrafen / the Landgrave’s niece (soprano): Birgit Nilsson
Wolfram von Eschinbach, a Minnesinger (lyric baritone): Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Conductor: Otto Gerdes
Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Berlin, 1969