LA Opera’s ‘Tannhäuser’ is a feast for the ears, if not the eyes

In holistic medicine determination is simply a therapy called a “Sound Bath” that heals by immersing the idiosyncratic successful an all-consuming, meditative satellite of euphony and song. That is surely the acquisition offered by Los Angeles Opera’s accumulation of Richard Wagner’s “Tannhäuser,” which opened Saturday astatine the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Just the accidental to perceive a unrecorded 147-piece (brass resounding) orchestra, afloat men’s and women’s chorus, and a formed of dynamic vocalists, each nether the absorption of LA Opera’s euphony manager and Wagnerian master, James Conlon, is transformative — particularly aft each we’ve been done for the past twelvemonth and a half.

If Louisa Muller’s absorption and Gottfried Pilz’s sets and costumes represented the opera’s archetypal 13th-century setting, the signifier would beryllium filled with sword-bearing Germanic knights who instrumentality clip retired present and past to vie successful signing contests. Instead, what we spot are noble knights and ladies successful elegant cocktail attire much attuned to the sophistication of Noel Coward oregon the shot from “My Fair Lady.” For them, emotion is chaste, “No enactment please!”

The occupation is, the opera’s hero, Tannhäuser (tenor, Issachah Savage), has, unbeknownst to his countrymen, been residing successful the mystical, erotic realm of the Venusberg, arm-in-arm (and precise overmuch more) with his seductive paramour Venus (soprano Yulia Matochkina). And since LA Opera is performing Wagner’s 1861 Paris mentation of the opera, the overture melds straight into a ballet wherever lithe dancers cavort successful Kama Sutra-esque variations. The Venusberg they inhabit, however, has each the entreaty of a bare-bones, red-light portion club.

Poor Tannhäuser. It seems helium is having 2nd thoughts astir each this indulgent pleasure. He tells Venus helium longs for a bully conflict with tons of humor and a hefty dose of Christian piety. For him, helium says, the party’s over!

And with that helium finds himself backmost successful the onshore of penitent pilgrims, singing knights (in achromatic tie) and the virginal miss helium near behind, Elisabeth (sung by the dynamic American soprano, Sara Jakubiak).

Tannhäuser is greeted by the astir up-tight and due of the knights, Wolfram von Eschenbach (tenor Lucas Meachem). He’s a poster kid for the thought that “nice guys decorativeness last,” but helium does get to sing the opera’s top hit, “The Evening Star.” He greets his long-lost person and urges him to vie successful the yearly singing joust — the taxable is, “True Love.” At archetypal each goes good until Tannhäuser can’t assistance voicing a refrain of, “You guys don’t cognize what emotion is!”

Finally, helium loses it completely, with Elizabeth (who is the prize) looking on, and tells them if they privation to truly find retired what emotion is, “Call Venus for a bully time!”

With that, helium is instantly shunned and taxable to execution. But Elizabeth begs for his “salvation.” He indispensable go a pilgrim, endure and beg the Pope to beryllium forgiven for his sins. Of course, Venus warned him, this is the beingness that laic successful store. Nevertheless, “To Rome!” helium proclaims and the curtain falls connected Act 2.

Pining distant successful prayer, Elisabeth waits. And it indispensable beryllium said, that passim the full performance, Jakubiak, with her almighty dependable and in-the-moment melodramatic presence, is the lone subordinate of the formed that made immoderate of this look believable, close up to the infinitesimal of her demise.

When a haggard Tannhäuser yet returns, helium admits his gathering with the Pope did not spell arsenic planned; forgiveness, it seems, is not his agelong suit erstwhile it comes to transgressions of an erotic quality with That Woman. For Tannhäuser, however, the enactment of picking up wherever helium near disconnected with Venus sounds beauteous good. But it’s excessively late. No Venus. No Elizabeth. Time to die.

It’s truly clip for a revolutionary Feminist, Freudian, Marxist, LBGTQ instrumentality connected “Tannhäuser.” If LA Opera presents a show connected the radio, don’t miss it. Close your eyes. It whitethorn beryllium the champion mode to spot it.

Jim Farber is simply a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.

Wagner’s ‘Tannhäuser’

• Rating: 3 stars
• Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave, Los Angeles
• When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 2 p.m. Oct. 31; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3 and 6
• Running time: 4 hours with 2 intermissions. Video pre-concert speech connected the plaza, a hr earlier curtain.
• Suitability: Not for younger people; depictions of intersexual acts
• Note: Proof of vaccination oregon antagonistic PCR COVID-19 trial required, arsenic is the wearing of masks successful the auditorium careless of vaccination status.
• Tickets and information: 213-972-8001; www.laopera.org