Lohengrin, simply a Masterpiece!

[myaskovsky2002]

I love Lohengrin!

I have 4 versions on CD and 4 versions on DVD. One of my Cds is in Russian sung by Kozlovsky, maybe the very best one!

And you?

Why do you like/dislike this opera?

Martin

[Stlukesguild]

Martin... you and your Russians. Wagner would cringe.

[Zeitblom]

Lohengrin is IMO a bit of a mixed bag. It contains some of Wagner's most beautiful music - the music of the Act 1 Prelude and that surrounding the lonely and strangely modern figure of Lohengrin himself has a delicacy and wistfulness that we don't find again in Wagner until parts of Parsifal (and which I agree are not qualities usually associated with Wagner). In the early part of Act 2 the music for Ortrud and Telramund anticipates much of the glory to come (although it's not really much of a step forward from the music of that astonishing and neglected masterpiece, Weber's Euryanthe, whose neglect is largely down to the fact that its glorious music is wasted on a mad plot and impenetrably stupid libretto).

But Lohengrin needs a firm directorial hand. The big choruses and the Herald's narrations do undermine the structure - the first part of Act 1 in particular contains an awful lot of scene-setting by the Herald, and even with an understanding of German I find it a bit interminable. And in a poor performance you can very quickly realise that the whole opera - bar a few short passages - is in common time. Four hours of 4/4 is not good for the soul and a conductor really needs to know how to pace and nuance the music, keep it moving, and bring out the orchestral colour.

[myaskovsky2002]

Originally Posted by Stlukesguild

Martin... you and your Russians. Wagner would cringe.

I don't like just Russians! I love Zemlisnky, Schreker, Wellesz, Bartok and many others!!!!

Martin, versatile

[myaskovsky2002]

Originally Posted by Zeitblom

Lohengrin is IMO a bit of a mixed bag. It contains some of Wagner's most beautiful music - the music of the Act 1 Prelude and that surrounding the lonely and strangely modern figure of Lohengrin himself has a delicacy and wistfulness that we don't find again in Wagner until parts of Parsifal (and which I agree are not qualities usually associated with Wagner). In the early part of Act 2 the music for Ortrud and Telramund anticipates much of the glory to come (although it's not really much of a step forward from the music of that astonishing and neglected masterpiece, Weber's Euryanthe, whose neglect is largely down to the fact that its glorious music is wasted on a mad plot and impenetrably stupid libretto).

But Lohengrin needs a firm directorial hand. The big choruses and the Herald's narrations do undermine the structure - the first part of Act 1 in particular contains an awful lot of scene-setting by the Herald, and even with an understanding of German I find it a bit interminable. And in a poor performance you can very quickly realise that the whole opera - bar a few short passages - is in common time. Four hours of 4/4 is not good for the soul and a conductor really needs to know how to pace and nuance the music, keep it moving, and bring out the orchestral colour.

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For me Daniel Barenboim is the very best! I love Lohengrin from A to Z.

Martin

Martin

[GoingBaroque]

Originally Posted by Zeitblom

Lohengrin is IMO a bit of a mixed bag. It contains some of Wagner's most beautiful music - the music of the Act 1 Prelude and that surrounding the lonely and strangely modern figure of Lohengrin himself has a delicacy and wistfulness that we don't find again in Wagner until parts of Parsifal (and which I agree are not qualities usually associated with Wagner). In the early part of Act 2 the music for Ortrud and Telramund anticipates much of the glory to come (although it's not really much of a step forward from the music of that astonishing and neglected masterpiece, Weber's Euryanthe, whose neglect is largely down to the fact that its glorious music is wasted on a mad plot and impenetrably stupid libretto).

I love parts of it but that dreadful Bridal Music always makes me cringe.

[myaskovsky2002]

Originally Posted by Stlukesguild

Martin... you and your Russians. Wagner would cringe.

Naughty man.

Martin

[myaskovsky2002]

Originally Posted by GoingBaroque

I love parts of it but that dreadful Bridal Music always makes me cringe.

LOL

I don't "love" it either even if I am happiluy married.

Martin

[Danny88]

The overture is so effective. You can totally picture the grail rising.