Last week I was lucky enough to go to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden to see a performance (the 202nd) of Richard Wagner’s Tannhauser. The story is essentially (full synopsis below) that there is a duality in love between virtue and pleasure and the only way to redeem one who has sinned (pleasure) is through God and sacrifice. When the irate Friedrich Nietzsche later heard Parisfal he exclaimed that Wagner had ‘thrown himself at the feet of the cross’, however such themes exist throughout Wagner’s works. The three I have been fortunate enough to see at the ROH, The Flying Dutchman, Parsifal and Tannhauser all have a common thread; they are all about seeking redemption.
Within Wagner’s work there is the conflict between the profane and the holy- whilst the mortal world, and even sexual intercourse, are seen as temptations away from what is holy and true (virtue) there seems an inhibition for one to save one’s self from sin and it is only through the actions of others that one can be saved (“Redemption to the Redeemer”- even the saviour must first be saved) and yet one desires virtue more than anything- even the gods in the Ring Cycle want fidelity.
This conflict speaks to the inner turmoil of all people- between good and evil, the sensual and the intellectual, it also shows an interesting parallel to the lives of many artists.
Many artists, now considered great, had to rely upon benefactors for their visions to be known. Wagner had King Ludwig II of Bavaria (who in return only asked that Wagner write his autobiography), Wagner then, in turn, became the benefactor of Nietzsche, Dylan made his name after getting a manager who ‘smelt of money’ (and then stole a lot of money from him).
Writing was once described as the public work of a private person. The majority of the greats in the arts, science etc are very shy people and it is, possibly, only through this silence that their work can be created ‘sit still…you don’t even need to leave the room the world will unfurl before you’ (Kafka) and yet how can they make their visions known?
To resolve the majority of conflicts there must be a balance (not all conflicts mind you- sometimes things are one sided- example- balance cannot be found for genocide- yeah, how about you kill one million, not the two you planned), in the Wagnerian sense there must be a balance between the internal and external (Socrates said a healthy body and mind were simpatico) and between the private and the public. Privacy must be respected but sometimes one must be willing to put one’s self out there and let go of one’s private world.
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The story of the opera is thus- Tannhauser is in Venusberg- the domain of the goddess Venus. Here he has unbridled passions and his every fantasy is fulfilled. However, he starts to miss the mortal girl whom he loved, whose sad laments for the unrequited love had bought the attention of Venus. Moved by his melancholy, Venus had taken him to paradise as, what is essentially, her toy. Yet Venus has fallen in love with Tannhauser and his desire to return to the mortal realm makes her angry and jealous and with the ‘you’ll be back!’ slamming of the preverbal door, Tannhauser finds himself once more in the mortal realm. He finds his love, yet other men desire her too! So they propose a singing contest about what is true love? The virtue shines forth from the two suitors whilst Tannhauser states- well if the fountain is desire then dive right in!- the carnality shocks and disgusts those around and, his fair Elisabeth falls into a faint and Tannhauser is sent off to see the pope who laughs at him and says, the day I offer you absolution is the day that my staff grows leaves. Elisabeth, meanwhile, goes to God and says let me die so that he may be redeemed.
thegreaterfool2016 