Arts & Events

While I acknowledge that Wager’s Lohengrin has quite a lot of beautiful music, though also quite a lot of what may be called filler, in which the composer stretches out indefinitely and inordinately the basic drama he is depicting. And this drama, in case you hadn’t noticed, is Wagner’s contention that a woman in love must never question her lover about his name, where he is from, or anything of his past. Oh, at the opera’s end, Wagner offers the lame excuse for Lohengrin’s insistence on anonymity by having him reveal that he is a knight of the Holy Grail. As such, says Lohengrin, he must always remain anonymous, even when, as in this case, he falls in love with Elsa. By virtue of his ‘higher’ calling, says Lohengrin, he must insist on anonymity. As usual, Wagner over-reaches. Lohengrim stretches out this meagre plot for four hours and 24 minutes. 

In the current San Francisco Opera production of Lohengrin, the menace of a looming fascism hovers over everything that happens in this opera. In the opening scene, armed men with rifles keep peasants at bay. King Heinrich, though he gradually reveals himself to be a fair-minded individual, is on scene to raise an army against hypothetical possible invaders. Militarism in the face of hypothetical threats to national security is the name of the game here, as it is in so many areas, including our own. Meanwhile, in Brabant Friedrich von Telramund, who has been rejected by Elsa von Brabant in his hopes of marrying her, has now married Ortrud and accuses Elsa of murdering her brother. Elsa, held in abject conditions in an underground prison, is summoned to rrespond to Telramund’s accusations. 

The role of Elsa is performed by Juie Adams, familiar to SF Operagoers for her appearances with the Merola company, as an Adler fellow, and in roles such as Freia in Das Rheingold, Gerhilde in Die Walküre, Mimi in La Bohème, and Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. Over the years, the voice of Julie Adams has only grown stronger and more rich in coloration. As Elsa in Lohengrin, Julie Adams was excellent. In the role of Friedrich von Telramund, baritone Brian Mulligan portrayed his character as a schoolyard bully who reveals himself as weak in the face of his wife Ortrud. As for Lohengrin, who first appears to Elsa iin a dream, then arrives mysteriously on a swan to defend Elsa, he is sung by New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill. His ringing tenor quite fills the bill for the nole of Lohengrin. In return for his defence of Elsa, Lohengrin demands that she never ask his name, where he is from, or anything of his past. Elsa accepts. King Heinrch is sung by bass Kristinn Sigmundsson, whose resounding bass has often been heard here in roles such as Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Daland in Der Fliiegende Hollânder, and Vadrik in Rusalka.  

Where pure beauty of singing is concerned, honors in this Lohengrin are shared by soprano Julie Adams as Elsa and Romanian mezzo-soprano Judit Kutasi as Ortrud. As Act I comes to an end, Lohengrin defeats Telramund in single combat, though he spares Telramund’s life. Act II is dominated by Ortrud, who first consoles her husband for his defeat by Lohengrin, saying it was done by sorcery. Then she unveils her scheming plot to plant seeds of doubt in Elsa’s mind about Lohengrin’s demands for complete anonymity. As Ortrud, Judit Kutasi sang splendidly. Her voice rang with burnished coloration, though deep, penetrating and brimming with intensity. In this her SF Opera debut, Judit Kutasi proved herself a magnificent newcomer to local audiences, who no doubt will wish to hear in many more roles. In Lohengrin’s many small roles, only one is noteworthy here. The role of the King’s Herald was splendidly sung by baritone Thomas Lehman. 

The set for this Lohengrin was designed by Paul Steinberg and it featured two-storied buildings set aslant. In the opening scene, the King’s Herald announces with his trumpet the arrival of the King from an upper-story compartment open to the stage area. The distortion caused by the slanted buildings evokes similar distortions in many German Expressionist films of the 1920s and 1930s. David Alden directed this production of Lohengrin. Associate Director was Peter Retton. Costumes for this Lohengrin were by Gideon Davey and they featured more or less contemporary outfits complete with hats for the crowd scenes, though the principals wore more or less period costumes. 

As Act III opens, Lohengrin and Elsa are married and led into the bridal chamber to the famous bridal chorus. The newlyweds speak of their joy’, but when Lohengrin lovingly calls Elsa by name, she begs him to allow her to lovingly call him by name. His secret, Elsa declares, will be safe with her. At this, Lohengrin is distraught. Then, suddenly, Telramund breaks into the bridal chamber, and this invasion is somewhat ludicrously carried out by his cutting through a papier maché wall. Telramund attacks Lohengrin but is himself killed. Lohengrin tells Elsa he will answer her “forbidden questions” tomorrow in front of the King. At that meeting, which takes place under banners evoking those of Nazi fascism, Lohengrin reveals Telramund’s treachery and then declares that he is a knight of the Holy Grail and is thus bound by a demand for anonymity. In answer to Elsa, Lohengrin says his name is Lohengrin but that he must now return to Monsalvat. As he is about to leave on a swan, Ortrud rushes in to assert that the swan is actually Elsa’s dead brother Gottfried, whom she cursed. In response to this Lohengrin brings the dead Gottfried back to life and proposes that Gottfried be the new leader of Brabant. The dreaded Nazi banners fall to the ground, bringing in a new and more tolerant regime. Then off goes Lohengrin, leaving behind a grief-stricken Elsa, who has lost the man she loved all because she dared to ask his name. Oh well, that’s Wagner for you. 

Eun Sun Kim conducted this Lohengrin. Her deep commitment to this music is evident, and her conducting brought out much of the warmth of this music. John Keene was Chorus Director.