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Operas by Richard Wagner

Die Hochzeit (1832)
Die Feen (1833)
Das Liebesverbot (1836)
Rienzi (1840)
Der fliegende Holländer (1843)
Tannhäuser (1845)
Lohengrin (1848)
Tristan und Isolde (1859)
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1867)
Der Ring des Nibelungen: Das Rheingold (1869)
Der Ring des Nibelungen: Die Walkure (1870)
Der Ring des Nibelungen: Siegfried (1871)
Der Ring des Nibelungen: Götterdämmerung (1874)
Parsifal (1882)

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Lohengrin is a romantic opera (or music drama) in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner. Die Hochzeit (The Wedding is an unfinished Opera by Richard Wagner which predates all his completed works in the genre Die Feen ( The Fairies) is an Opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. Das Liebesverbot ( The Ban on Love) is an early Opera in two acts by Richard Wagner, with the Libretto written by the composer after Shakespeare's Rienzi der Letzte der Tribunen (WWV 49 ( Rienzi the Last of the Tribunes) is an early Opera by Richard Wagner in five acts with the Libretto Der fliegende Holländer ( The Flying Dutchman) is an Opera, with Music and Libretto by Richard Wagner. Tannhäuser (full title Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg / Tannhäuser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg) is an Opera Tristan und Isolde ( Tristan and Isolde, or Tristan and Isolda) is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) is an Opera in three acts written and composed by Richard Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Das Rheingold ("The Rhine Gold" is the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) by Richard Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Die Walküre ( The Valkyrie) is the second of the four Operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Siegfried is the third of the four Operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) by Richard Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer ("Twilight of the Gods" – see Notes) is the last of the four Operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung Parsifal is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto

Contents

History

The first production was in Weimar, Germany on 28 August 1850 under the direction of Franz Liszt, a close friend and early supporter of Wagner. Weimar (ˈvaɪmaʁ is a City in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of Thuringia (Thüringen north of the Thüringer Wald, Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself inspired by the epic of Garin le Loherain. Parzival is a major medieval German Epic poem attributed to the poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, written in the Middle High German Lohengrin is a character in some German Arthurian literature The son of Parzival (Percival he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a The 12th century Chanson de geste of Garin le Loherain is one of the fiercest and most sanguinary narratives left by the Trouvères ' It is part of the Knight of the Swan tradition. The story of the Knight of the Swan, or Swan Knight, is a Medieval tale about a mysterious rescuer who comes in a Swan -drawn boat to defend a damsel

Lohengrin was an immediate popular success. Several excerpts have become famous, including the preludes to the first and third acts, the opening music to Act II, Scene 4, which has been converted into the concert band piece "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral", Lohengrin's aria In fernem Land (Act III, Scene 3), and the Bridal Chorus "Treulich geführt" from Act III, Scene 1 -- commonly known as "Here Comes the Bride. A prelude is a short piece of Music, which its form will vary from piece to piece A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble This article is about the musical term "aria" For other meanings or uses of the word see Aria (disambiguation. The " Bridal Chorus " from the Opera Lohengrin, by German composer Richard Wagner, is the standard march played for the bride's "

The opera has proved inspirational towards other works of art. Among those deeply moved by the fairy-tale opera was the young King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm II King of Bavaria ( August 25, 1845 &ndash June 13, 1886) was king of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly 'Der Maerchenkoenig' ('The Fairy-tale King' as he was dubbed) later built his ideal fairy-tale castle and dubbed it "New Swan Stone," or "Neuschwanstein," after the Swan Knight. Neuschwanstein Castle ( German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, lit New Swan Stone palace; nɔʏˈʃvaːnʃtaɪ̯n is a 19th-century Bavarian It was King Ludwig's patronage that later gave Wagner the means and opportunity to build a theatre for, compose and stage his epic cycle, the Ring of the Nibelung. Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer

The Nicaraguan poet Ruben Darío paid homage to Lohengrin in his poem "El cisne" ("The Swan"). Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Félix Rubén García Sarmiento also known as Rubén Darío (Metapa January 18, 1867 &ndash Leon February 6, 1916) was a

Roles

RoleVoice typePremiere Cast, August 28, 1850
(Conductor: Franz Liszt)
LohengrintenorCarl Beck
Elsa of BrabantsopranoRosa Agathe von Milde
Ortrud, Telramund's wifemezzo-sopranoFastlinger
Friedrich of Telramund, a Count of BrabantbaritoneFeodor von Milde
Heinrich der Vogler (Henry the Fowler)bassHöfer
The King's HeraldbaritoneAugust Pätsch
Four Noblemen of Brabanttenors, basses
Four Pagessopranos, altos
Duke Gottfried, Elsa's brothersilentHellstedt
Saxon, Thuringian, and Brabantian counts and nobles, ladies of honor, pages, vassals, serfs

Synopsis

Place: Antwerp, on the Scheldt. The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Höfer (also spelled Hoefer) is a German surname derived from Hof (yard court and which refer to Höfer Germany, a municipality Alto is a musical term derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" that has several possible interpretations ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the The Scheldt (Dutch Schelde, French Escaut, Latin Scaldis) is a 350 km[http //www
Time: 10th century

Act 1

King Henry the Fowler has arrived in Brabant where he has assembled the German tribes in order to expel the Hungarians from his dominions. The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Count Telramund acts as regent for Duke Gottfried of Brabant, a minor and brother to Elsa. Gottfried has mysteriously disappeared and Telramund, incited by his wife, Ortrud, accuses Elsa of murdering her brother and demands that she give him the dukedom.

Elsa appears surrounded by her attendants and, knowing herself innocent, declares that she is willing to submit to the judgment of God through the ordeal of combat. Elsa chooses a knight she has beheld in her dreams as her champion(Narrative: "Alone in dark days. ") and sinks to her knees and prays that God send her relief. Telramund, at the behest of the king, agrees to fight.

At first, the Herald calls upon the unknown knight in vain. When he calls the second time, however, a miracle takes place. A boat drawn by a swan appears on the river and in it stands a knight in shining armour. He lands and dismisses the swan before respectfully greeting the king and asks Elsa if she will have him as her champion. Elsa kneels in front of him and places her honour in his keeping. He asks but one thing in return for his service: she is never to ask him who he is or where he has come from. Elsa agrees to this and the combat area is prepared. After everyone apart from Ortrud has prayed, the combat commences. Telramund is defeated, but the victor grants him his life. Taking Elsa by the hand, the unknown knight declares her as innocent and asks for her hand in marriage.

Act 2

Night in the courtyard outside the cathedral. Telramund and Ortrud, both banished, appear in tattered garments. Ortrud, a heathen witch, daughter of Radbod, the Duke of Frisia, tries to revive Telramund's courage. She plots to induce Elsa to violate the mysterious knight's only condition.

When Elsa appears on the balcony in the light of the morning, she sees Ortrud and takes pity upon her. Telramund, unobserved, retires into the shadow of a house. The populace assembles and the Herald announces that the king has offered to make the unnamed knight the Duke of Brabant. He refuses the title, however, and requests to be known only as "Guardian of Brabant. "

As the king, the Knight, Elsa and her attendants are about to enter the church, Ortrud, clad in magnificent attire, appears and accuses the Guardian of Brabant of being a magician. Telramund also appears. He claims to have been vanquished by fraud, as he does not know the name of his opponent, and neither does the wife-to-be herself. Lohengrin refuses to reveal his identity and claims that only one has the right to know his origin -- Elsa and Elsa alone. Elsa, though visibly shaken and uncertain, assures him of her confidence and they enter the church together. Telramund, however, has managed to recruit four knights to his cause.

Act 3

Illustration of the London première
Illustration of the London première
Joseph O'Mara in the title role, 1894-95
Joseph O'Mara in the title role, 1894-95

The bridal chamber. Joseph O'Mara ( 16 July 1864 – August 5 1927) was an Irish opera singer of the Victorian era. Elsa and her new husband are ushered in with the well-known bridal chorus, and the couple express their love for each other. Ortrud's words, however, are impressed upon Elsa, and, despite his warning, she asks her husband the fatal question. Telramund and his four recruits rush into the room in order to attack the strange knight. Instead it is Telramund who is slain. The Knight sorrowfully turns to Elsa and asks her to follow him to the king, to whom he will now reveal the mystery.

Change of scene: On the banks of the Scheldt, as in Act I. The troops arrive equipped for war. Telramund's corpse is brought in and the stranger defends his slaying of Telramund. One thing remains -- he must now disclose his identity to the king and Elsa. He tells the story of the Holy Grail, and reveals himself as Lohengrin, Knight of the Holy Grail and son of King Parsifal. According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers Parsifal is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner. The time for his return has arrived and he has only tarried to prove Elsa innocent.

As he sadly bids farewell to his beloved bride, the swan reappears. Lohengrin prays that Elsa may recover her lost brother, and lo! the swan dives into the river and appears again in the form of young Gottfried, Elsa's brother, who had been turned into a swan by Ortrud's magic arts.

A dove descends from heaven, and, taking the place of the swan, leads Lohengrin in his boat to the castle of the Holy Grail. Elsa is stricken with grief, however, and falls to the ground dead, longing for her beloved.

Cultural reference

In 1907, Victor Herbert produced a one-act parody of Lohengrin called The Magic Knight, in which Elsa is accused of murdering her brother, Godfrey, but Elsa is guilty of nothing more than an excessive use of cadenzas. Victor August Herbert ( February 1 1859 &ndash May 26 1924) was a Cellist, conductor and Composer best known The Magic Knight is a one-act musical burlesque with music by Victor Herbert and a libretto by Edgar Smith Godfrey has been turned into a swan by the enchantress Ortrud, who marries Elsa's sweetheart, Frederick. Elsa calls upon a magic knight to save her by engaging in combat with Frederick. The knight arrives on the back of the enchanted swan, and he soon defeats Frederick and turns the swan back into Godfrey. The knight asks Elsa to marry him, but when she asks his name (Lohengrin), the enchantment is broken, and he must return to fairyland, leaving Elsa alone and grief stricken, but still singing cadenzas. [1]

Media

References

Plot taken from The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz, 1921 version.

CD recordings of Lohengrin

External links

Lotte Lehmann ( February 27, 1888 &ndash August 26, 1976) was a German Soprano
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