Vidéo à la demande: Tannhäuser

Knight and singer, Tannhäuser is torn between sensual pleasure and spiritual redemption after living with the goddess Venus. Seeking redemption in the human world, he falls in love with Elisabeth but struggles to gain her trust while wrestling with his own guilt, desire and faith. Is redemption still possible for the man in search of forgiveness?

Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser from 1845 marks a transitional moment in his oeuvre, poised between early Romantic influences and the musical dramas of his mature period. Drawing on legends of medieval minstrels, Wagner penned the libretto himself. Philosophically and symbolically, the opera is driven by dualities, musically conveyed through the contrast between the sensual and the spiritual. Religious scenes such as the pilgrims’ chorus and Elisabeth’s prayer form a powerful counterpoint to Venus’s seductive music. Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb’s new production is directed by Frank Van Laecke, a Belgian director with a distinguished international career known for his ability to honour classical forms, giving new energy to traditional operatic aesthetics.

Recorded on 18.05.2026