Stuck in purgatory: Tannhäuser at Budapest’s Wagner Days

Dorottya Láng (Venus)

Elisabeth Strid (Elisabeth)

Marco Jentzsch (Tannhäuser)

Michael Güttler conducts the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

By Orsolya Gyárfás, 30 June 2025

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“Dorottya Láng’s sumptuous, velvety mezzo made for a vocally irresistible goddess of Love”

Reviewed at Müpa: Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, Budapest on 29 June 2025

Wagner, Tannhäuser

Michael Güttler, Conductor

Matthias Oldag, Director

Thomas Gruber, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

Hungarian Radio Symphony Choir

Marco Jentzsch, Tannhäuser

Dorottya Láng, Venus

Elisabet Strid, Elisabeth

Birger Radde, Wolfram von Eschenbach

Miklós Sebestyén, Biterolf

Gábor Bretz, Landgraf Hermann

Barna Bartos, Heinrich der Schreiber

Tibor Szappanos, Walther von der Vogelweide

István Gáspár, Reinmar von Zweter

Mira Braunmüller, Shepherd Boy

Hungarian National Male Choir

Tannhäuser's long and tortuous journey of the spirit

Alexander Hall, 17th June

Stephen Gould is less than convincing in the lead role of Tannhäuser, but excellent ensemble work under Ádám Fischer's inspired direction offers compensations.

****1

Eine Groteske zwischen Tragik und Komik: die Neue Oper Wien präsentiert Schostakowitschs Die Nase

Simon Haasis, 28th September

Schostakowitschs geniales Jugendwerk Die Nase in einer prägnanten Aufführung an der Kammeroper in Wien.

****1

Chiaroscuro extinguished: a self-indulgent Poppea in Copenhagen

Mengguang Huang, 26th April

Christoph Marthaler’s staging of Monteverdi’s Poppea for the Royal Danish Opera is a study in boredom.

**111

Trojan’s Carousel: a magical night of dreams come true in Prague

Frank Kuznik, 23rd April

A vintage opera at the National Theatre offers charming adventures for children and musical sophistication for adults.

*****

A sorta fairy tale: Sleepers Awake premieres at Opera Philadelphia

Cameron Kelsall, 22nd April

A new opera by Gregory Spears subverts the Sleeping Beauty trope, with middling results.

**111

Asmik Grigorian strengthens the Met’s revival of Eugene Onegin

Susan Stempleski, 20th April

The Lithuanian soprano’s riveting performance as the central character in Tchaikovsky’s operatic masterpiece lights up Deborah Warner’s mostly bland production.

****1

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Orsolya Gyárfás

A university student in Budapest, currently pursuing a degree in Aesthetics, Orsolya is an opera fan, particularly interested in the works of Mozart and Wagner.