Episode 007: Lohengrin with Benjamin Poore
The Bridal March from Lohengrin is a bold wedding choice once you know the rest of the opera. But considering the divorce rate, maybe it’s the most honest one. Dramaturg and critic Benjamin Poore joins us to talk about Wagner’s Swan King opera and ask the important questions: Is Lohengrin really the hero? Is Ortrud the only sane person? And what if Elsa did kill her brother?
Additional topics include: Nazis, doomscrolling, Richard Wagner’s Livejournal, and who could take Norman Lebrecht in a fight.
Don’t ask for Ben’s social media handles, but you can read his works for VAN.
Simon says:
“[The premiere of Lohengrin] occurred in Weimar in 1850, while Wagner was still in exile. The orchestra boasted only five first violins and six seconds, with thirty-eight pieces in all, while the chorus numbered under thirty. Despite the best efforts of the conductor, who was Wagner’s great champion and father-in-law-to-be, Franz Liszt, the opera was not well received. (How could it have been with such inadequate forces?)”
Lohengrin: The story
Playlist
Prelude to Act I
Claudio Abbado, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra
“Einsam in trüben Tagen”
Cheryl Studer / 1991
Lohengrin’s Entrance
Annette Dasch, Bayreuth Festival / 2011
Act I Finale
Peter Hoffman, Karan Armstrong / 1982
Ortrud and Elsa's Act II Duet
Karita Mattila, Gwyneth Jones / 1996
Act II Finale
Daniel Barenboim, Teatro alla Scala / 2012
Act III Prelude
Daniel Barenboim, West-Eastern Divan Orchestra / 2016
“In fernem Land / Mein lieber Schwan”
Jonas Kaufmann / 2012
“Fahr heim!”
Waltraud Meier / 2018
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