Tannhauser

This Wednesday morning I was kindly taken by Richard (from Mark's Tueday class) to a dress rehearsal of Wagner's Tannhauser at the Royal Opera House. Richard worked there for 30 years and directed revivals of many operas, so he was a knowledgable and insightful guide. I had only ever seen opera sung in English at the ENO during the '90's when a friend was the marketing director there, and provided tickets when there were empty seats to fill for gala nights. Despite not having grown up with any classical music in my home, I always found something wonderful in those productions. Nothing prepared me for Tannhauser, however. The performances were tremendous: singers had incredible musicality, but could also really act well... not always the case in the productions I had seen before. As happened when I saw Nigel Hawthorne as King Lear (a play I had not studied at school and was blithely ignorant of) many years ago at the RSC, I was crying by the end of the performance. The music was new to me and a revelation, as I am a total novice as regards anything but a few composers (Ravel, Debussy, Bach, Thomas Tallis, Michael Nyman, Steve Reich, Arvo Part - are the only composers I know at all well). I feel I may at last be able to delve into classical music, a little at a time, over the next few years. My life was always full of 'alternative' popular musics of many kinds, as well as folk, jazz and world music, and there never seemed the time or space to get into music from another era. Huge thanks to Richard for taking me along and opening my ears.

I was grateful for the surtitles in English during the production, as my schoolgirl German runs to about 100 words, most of which pertain to buying a T-shirt or asking directions to the town hall. The poetry of the words as Heinrich makes his journey from lusty abandon to divine salvation would have been beyond me without them. However, the music itself and the acting by the cast and chorus really did convey the story.

So if you have a particular recommendation of a wonderful piece of classical, early or choral music that, knowing me, you think I should hear, please do get in touch. I think Wandsworth libraries still loan CDs, so I will get hold of some recordings over the next weeks.

Tannhauser at the ROH