Wagner: Tannhäuser - Esser, Jones, Jones, Weikl, Sotin, Mazura; Hollreiser. Bayreuth, 1973

$12.95

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It was clearly not Wagner's intention to have the same singer sing the roles of Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhäuser, however in the hands of Gywneth Jones it makes perfect sense. The dual assignments give this dynamic singer a chance to show off her remarkable range, both dramatically and vocally. The fascinating aspect of her portrayal is that she doesn't create allegorical archetypes representing polar opposites of feminine virtue, but two fully fleshed-out, well-rounded characters. This approach gives this opera a lot more depth.
Hermin Esser is a solid Tannhäuser, but doesn't go nearly as far as Jones in making his character come to life.
Bernd Weikl as Wolfram, and Hans Sotin as Hermann deliver some of the best singing of the night, and Franz Mazura's Bitterolf is the definition of luxury casting.
The sound is excellent.