Regardless of being written 180 years in the past, Richard Wagner’s opera, Tannhäuser, speaks to contested facets of freedom in modern-day life. It displays the sooner conception of freedom that historian Sophia Rosenfeld paperwork in her new ebook, The Age of Selection: A Historical past of Freedom in Trendy Life. Heinrich Tannhäuser strikes from license to liberty within the opera. The opera illustrates Rosenfeld’s argument that freedom historically meant freedom from bondage to disordered need; it distinguished between liberty and licentiousness. This, in distinction to the dramatic twentieth-century inversion, wherein ethical license, slightly than being an antonym of freedom, turns into a synonym for freedom.
Opposite to the way in which the opera’s drama is often framed at present, as revolving round Tannhäuser’s selection between profane and sacred love, the primary phrases Henrich utters—even the primary notes of the overture—clarify that Tannhäuser seeks the liberty of beatitude. In Act 1, Heinrich, enslaved by his sexual ardour to the goddess Venus—at present we’d name Heinrich a intercourse addict—describes the opera’s dramatic trajectory (translation by Burton Fisher),
If I stay with you, I can solely be a slave.It’s freedom that I lengthy for: freedom, freedom, for which I thirst;I’ll wrestle and struggle,even when destruction and loss of life await me:due to this fact I have to flee your kingdom.Oh queen, goddess, let me go!
The drama in Tannhäuser doesn’t revolve round a endless dialectical wrestle between the Apolline and the Dionysiac, tempting although it might be to border the drama as a selection for Heinrich between Venus (Dionysiac) and the chaste Elisabeth (Apolline).
From starting to finish, albeit with matches and begins, the opera revolves round Heinrich’s pilgrimage to free himself from his bondage, his habit, as he seeks to realize the beatific imaginative and prescient. In the end, nonetheless, solely loss of life can free him from his bondage. It’s not the loss of life of romantic extinction, nonetheless, it’s a loss of life unto life. The dramatic motion arises from how these round him, his ostensible mates and allies, hinder and divert him from his pilgrimage, and from how others assist him to free himself, even at nice price to themselves.
The opera challenges trendy conceptions of what freedom is and offers a dramatic, and shifting, show of what it takes to be free of bondage to sin.
To make sure, I settle for that Wagner’s opera embodies and displays Romantic-era themes. But trendy commentary typically attracts too sharp a line between Romanticism and Christianity. Thematic currents definitely existed in Romantic artwork that mirrored heterodox, immanentistic spiritual sentiments. However there additionally existed currents within the motion extra congenial to Christianity.
One doesn’t stretch to acknowledge a Christian theme in an opera wherein the libretto offers “To Thee do I journey, Lord Jesus Christ, for Thou artwork the pilgrims’ hope.” And extra diffusely, the widespread German Romantic trope of the redemptive feminine, I recommend, attracts on the Biblical currents of conventional Christendom wherein the Church holds a distinctively female identification because the bride of Christ.
That stated, the opera shouldn’t be baptized; Wagner himself prevents that. Nonetheless, I feel we will interrogate the opera for Christian themes, though interrogate it for themes that problem at present’s all-too snug Christianity as a lot as interrogate it for themes that problem at present’s antinomian conception of freedom.
The Chiastic Construction of Tannhäuser
The opera provides a primary chiastic construction.
The chiastic construction highlights three factors concerning the opera. First, the opera is all about Tannhäuser’s pilgrimage towards beatific imaginative and prescient; it’s not a couple of selection between profane and sacred love. That is clear musically in addition to textually. The very first notes of the overture are these from the Pilgrims’ Refrain. The final notes of the opera are these of Pilgrims Refrain. (Some variations finish with a trebled “hallelujah,” however these are not more than sung exclamation marks.)
There’s a musical shift, nonetheless, that emphasizes the concluding phrases of the libretto reporting Tannhäuser’s redemption: In each the overture and when the Refrain is sung by the pilgrims coming back from Rome with out Tannhäuser, the meter for the Pilgrims Refrain is 3/4. Within the opera’s concluding use of the Refrain, it’s within the measured and emphatic 3/2 meter.
The pilgrims’ leitmotif frames each the beginning and conclusion of the opera. Doing so musically hyperlinks Heinrich’s destiny with that of the pilgrims coming back from Rome once they sing the Refrain at size in Act 3, “I lay my pilgrim’s employees to relaxation, as a result of, trustworthy to God, I accomplished my pilgrimage!”
The music articulates the identical end result for Heinrich, the change within the meter underscoring the dramatic concluding phrases of the libretto, sung with emphasis by pilgrims and others on stage, “The salvation of grace is the penitents reward, now he [Tannhäuser] attains the peace of the blessed!” That is the top towards which the opera strikes from actually the primary notes of the overture.
Secondly, when Tannhäuser departs Venusberg, his pilgrimage not solely takes him away from Venusberg, it additionally takes him away from Wartburg, and Elisabeth, as properly. That is why the opera doesn’t circle round Heinrich’s selection between Venus and Elisabeth: Heinrich doesn’t go away Venusberg to be able to return to Elisabeth and Wartburg. His diversion to Wartburg and Elisabeth represents a relapse; this diversion threatens his soul.
Lastly, Elisabeth’s intercession for Heinrich is the pivot round which the chiasm inverts. The pivot, nonetheless, displays a degree of discontinuity for Elisabeth, a major second of change. Elisabeth was principally a besotted schoolgirl earlier than rising up spiritually in reply to Tannhäuser’s disaster.
On the pivot, Elisabeth acknowledges that in returning to Wartburg, Tannhäuser has positioned his soul in danger. Opposite to the view that Elisabeth does little greater than fulfill the Romantic-era trope of the sacrificial virgin, Elisabeth matures greater than some other character in the course of the course of the opera (together with Tannhäuser). After the chiastic pivot, she displays the deep love of Christ for his individuals, “Higher love has nobody than that he lay down his life for his mates.”
The Dramatic Motion within the Opera
Act 1 opens with Tannhäuser, a medieval German minnesinger (akin to a troubadour) in intimate repose with the goddess Venus in her grotto in Venusberg. Satyrs, fauns, naiads, sirens, nymphs, and others cavort across the couple. (Some variations of the opera open with an extended orgiastic ballet.)
Tannhäuser is jarred awake by the “joyous peals” of church bells he hears in a dream. Moved by the beatific name, Tannhäuser presses Venus to launch him from his bondage to her. Initially diplomatic in how he frames his request, Tannhäuser praises the goddess earlier than repeatedly asking to be let loose. Venus pushes again, declining his request. The disagreement escalates, musically in addition to textually.
Tannhäuser comes clear along with his change of coronary heart, “Goddess of enjoyment and delight, no! Oh, I shall not discover peace and repose in your embrace! My salvation lies in Mary!” (Mary is a synecdoche for heaven and God’s presence.)
Venus and Venusberg disappear instantly; Tannhäuser finds himself in entrance of a shrine to Mary exterior of Wartburg.
Earlier than Tannhäuser is ready to proceed his pilgrimage, nonetheless, he meets a gaggle of minnesingers from Wartburg whom he used to know. Whereas acknowledging them, he begs them to permit him to proceed his pilgrimage away from Wartburg. Not recognizing the determined nature of Tannhäuser’s pilgrimage, they press him repeatedly to hitch them once more and return to the fort. Tannhäuser resists every request till Wolfram, a beforehand shut good friend, entices Tannhäuser with the prospect of renewing his affiliation with Elisabeth. The temptation proves an excessive amount of; Tannhäuser capitulates. Now diverted from his pilgrimage, he returns with them to the fort, and to Elisabeth.
In Act 2, the neighborhood gathers with the minnesingers to witness their competitors over who can improvise one of the best tune. The Landgrave (the aristocratic lord) offers the subject of the competitors: the minnesingers should improvise a tune describing “the true essence of affection.”
The primary two minnesingers improvise insipid songs of drippy platitudes; Tannhäuser scorns their songs (as they deserve). However relating to Tannhäuser, that his return to Wartburg represents a relapse into bondage turns into clear: he sings a tribute to Venus and profane love.
His tune scandalizes the meeting. The opposite minnesingers, outraged, advocate Tannhäuser’s exile, even loss of life. Whereas Elisabeth is shocked as properly, she alone acknowledges that Tannhäuser has returned to Wartburg morally wounded and disordered. Elisabeth intercedes for Tannhäuser, saving him from the mob.
That is the pivot within the chiasm.
Elisabeth’s intercession permits Tannhäuser lastly to proceed along with his pilgrimage, heading to Rome with different pilgrims to obtain absolution from the pope.
Within the last act, Elisabeth waits for Tannhäuser’s return from Rome. When the opposite pilgrims return, Tannhäuser is just not with them. She acknowledges that Tannhäuser is once more spiritually misplaced. In response, Elisabeth fulfills the phrases of prayer she made on the chiastic pivot, giving her life that she would possibly draw even nearer to the heavenly altar to proceed praying for Tannhäuser. She departs to die.
Tannhäuser subsequently arrives again in Wartburg. He’s misplaced: The pope rejected his plea for forgiveness, telling him that as a result of he had “sojourned within the Venusberg, from now henceforth, you might be eternally damned.” The pope tells Tannhäuser that, as his (the pope’s) picket employees not blossoms, “deliverance can by no means blossom for you.”
With out hope of redemption now, Tannhäuser braces himself to return to Venus. “I’ve misplaced my salvation, now let the pleasures of hell be mine.” Venus seems earlier than him to obtain him again, “Now be perpetually mine!” This return is its personal judgment for Heinrich.
Earlier than Tannhäuser departs, nonetheless, the minnesingers arrive carrying Elisabeth’s corpse. Wolfram tells Tannhäuser, “Your angel prays for you at God’s throne. She has been heard, Heinrich, you might be saved!” Tannhäuser collapses earlier than Elisabeth’s physique and cries out, “Holy Elisabeth, pray for me!” And dies.
One other set of pilgrims arrives, coming back from Rome. They return, nonetheless, with information of a miracle: the pope’s employees has blossomed. Heaven has overruled the pope; the miracle exhibits that redemption has “blossomed afresh” for Tannhäuser, and he has “attained the peace of the blessed.”
Elisabeth’s Maturation within the Opera
Commentary sometimes portrays Elisabeth as a unidimensional, “saintly” Elisabeth. The Romantic trope of the redemptive lady. Elisabeth does develop into saintly. However she’s an earthly-minded woman at the beginning of Act 2.
Elisabeth fell laborious for Tannhäuser earlier than he spurned her for Venus. In response to the damage and embarrassment, Elisabeth petulantly withdrew from the actions at Wartburg. On listening to of Tannhäuser’s return, her coronary heart flutters, “How strongly my coronary heart jumps.” She sings, “I’ve been woke up to new life.”
When Tannhäuser subsequently sings paeans to Venus on the music competitors, Elisabeth is as shocked because the others, maybe much more so. Critically, nonetheless, she acknowledges, because the others don’t, that Tannhäuser is struggling to interrupt freed from religious bondage. Serving to Tannhäuser break freed from this slavery requires her intercession, an intercession requiring not solely that she quit her personal hopes for happiness with Tannhäuser as a pair, however that she sacrifice her earthly life for his everlasting life.
On the chiastic pivot, Elisabeth acknowledges that Tannhäuser’s diversion to Wartburg—and to her—meant a religious relapse for Tannhäuser, that he’s as soon as once more within the demon’s thrall. Elisabeth acknowledges this, and makes a fateful dedication to change her earthly life to safe Tannhäuser’s everlasting life:
Might the spirit of perception be granted him, simply because the Savior as soon as suffered. … Let him journey to Thee, Thou God of clemency and beauty. … Forgive him, who has fallen, forgive the guilt of his sin. I’ll pray for him. Might my life be prayer; grant that he might even see Thy mild, earlier than he’s misplaced in darkness. In joyful fright, let a sacrifice be devoted to Thee. Take, oh, take my life: I not name it mine.
Elisabeth providing her life as a sacrifice doubtless strikes the ears of most trendy American Christians as heterodox. Jesus, in spite of everything, is the sacrifice for the sins of individuals.
However Elisabeth’s provide is just not fairly as heterodox as it might initially seem. First, Elisabeth herself frames her request within the context of Jesus’s sacrifice, “simply because the Savior as soon as suffered.” And recall that Jesus enjoins his followers to “take up their cross,” the instrument of crucifixion, to comply with him. Equally, Peter writes that Jesus’s struggling offers Christians “an instance, so that you could be comply with in his steps.” Paul refers to his struggling “finishing what’s missing within the sufferings of Christ for the sake of the physique which is the church.” The Apostle even suggests he could be keen to be accursed in order that he would possibly save others.
From starting to finish, albeit with matches and begins, the opera revolves round Heinrich’s pilgrimage to free himself from his bondage, his habit, as he seeks to realize the beatific imaginative and prescient.
None of this impugns the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. Slightly, conventional Christian theology makes a distinction between Christ’s distinctive propitiatory sacrifice and his followers’ “eucharistic sacrifices”—sacrifices of thanksgiving—for God and one another.
As with Abraham’s willingness to supply Isaac, sacrifice is a method by which the trustworthy can flip low-cost speak into credible speak. Elisabeth provides her life to God to underscore the earnest authenticity of her prayer for his everlasting good.
So, too, Elisabeth’s sacrifice of her life for Tannhäuser is just not as alien to conventional Christian beliefs as it might appear at first. Elisabeth’s provide on this opera is just not a Romantic gesture to non-being. Whereas not emphasised a lot at present, Christian baptism offers a proleptic loss of life (and resurrection), a loss of life that kills off the sin nature, liberating the particular person into life. This loss of life liberates from sin.
Elisabeth and Tannhäuser don’t look to loss of life as extinction, however as launch into the liberty of divine beatitude. Right here, too, they mirror a deep Biblical longing. Paul, for instance, longs for the beatitude that outcomes from loss of life, for “to depart and be with Christ may be very significantly better.” That is finally the hope of liberation for Tannhäuser, why he sings of his loss of life as a part of his liberation from Venus.
This liberation is the opera’s story, from the primary notes of the overture to the final notes the pilgrims sing. It’s the transfer from licentiousness to the liberty of beatitude. With out suggesting that Wagner meant it to speak a Christian message, or that it doesn’t have its share of heterodox Romantic moments, the opera challenges trendy conceptions of what freedom is, challenges easy-going assumptions amongst Christians of what it means to like each other, and offers a dramatic, and shifting, show of what it takes to be free of bondage to sin.
