A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Tannhäuser

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Tannhäuser

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3913940A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — Tannhäuser

TANNHÄUSER UND DER SÄNGERKRIEG AUF WARTBURG. An opera in 3 acts; words and music by Wagner. Produced at Dresden, Oct. 20 [App. p.798 "Oct. 19"], 1845. At Cassel, by Spohr, after much resistance from the Elector, early in 1853. At the Grand Opera, Paris (French translation by Ch. Nuitter), March 13, 1861. It had three representations only.^[1] At Covent Garden, in Italian, May 6, 1876. The overture was first performed in England by the Philharmonic Society (Wagner conducting), May 14, 1855. Schumann saw it Aug. 7, 1847, and mentions it in his 'Theaterbüchlein' as 'an opera which cannot be spoken of briefly. It certainly has an appearance of genius. Were he but as melodious as he is clever he would be the man of the day.'

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↑ For the extraordinary uproar which it created see Prosper Merimée's 'Lettres à une Inconnue,' ii. 151–3. One of the jokes was 'qu'on s'ennuie aux récitatifs, et qu'on se tanne aux airs.' Even a man of sense like Merimée says that he 'could write something as good after hearing his cat walk up and down over the keys of the piano.' Berlioz writes about it in a style which is equally discreditable to his taste and his penetration (Correspondance inedite, Nos. ciii to cvi).

[1] For the extraordinary uproar which it created see Prosper Merimée's 'Lettres à une Inconnue,' ii. 151–3. One of the jokes was 'qu'on s'ennuie aux récitatifs, et qu'on se tanne aux airs.' Even a man of sense like Merimée says that he 'could write something as good after hearing his cat walk up and down over the keys of the piano.' Berlioz writes about it in a style which is equally discreditable to his taste and his penetration (Correspondance inedite, Nos. ciii to cvi).

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