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Turning Folklore into a Declaration of Art: Pondering Lohengrin

2025.05.05
Turning Folklore into a Declaration of Art: Pondering Lohengrin

© Matthias Jung / Deutschen Oper am Rhein

 

Translated from the Article by David LU

After 1840, WAGNER's style gradually matured, and after he wrote The Flying Dutchman and Tannhäuser, in April 1848, he completed Lohengrin, which is based on a medieval legend. However, since he was involved in the German Revolutions in 1849, he had to flee to Switzerland and thus missed the 1850 debut of the opera. Lohengrin may be viewed as the culmination of his early greatness because after it, he began working on the four-cycle The Ring of the Nibelung, which initiated his music drama phase. Lohengrin not only embodies the composer's artistic concepts but also profoundly exhibits his practical ideas on German culture and politics.

This opera is structured on the symbols of space and order. The beginning and end are set in scenes of judgment, highlighting the themes of justice and order. In Act I, the word "land" is repeatedly used, representing the territorial disputes between the Germans and other peoples as well as serving as a metaphor for the German people's desire for unity. Lohengrin, who is the Swan Knight, is viewed as a mysterious messenger sent by God. His arrival turns the setting of the opera, the Duchy of Brabant, into a microcosmic depiction of German unity, presenting the audience with a look at the political division in German lands in the 19th century.

In Act II, Ortud's arrival and the wedding of the male and female protagonists are examples of the dramatic actions of scene entry at crucial times and the disruption of balance, foreboding the collapse of order. In Act III, the bridal chamber scene sees just such an entry, pushing the plot to a climax to the accompaniment of the well-known "Bridal Chorus," a symbol of happiness and harmony. But here, WAGNER incorporates strongly conflicting elements. Elsa is now suspicious of Lohengrin's identity and asks him to tell her the secret of his origin, showing how she has changed from her original mindset of trust and how her idealized love has transformed into insecurity about Lohengrin's mysterious power. When he refuses, the sense of tragedy heightens as Telramund rushes in to try to kill him, representing the mortal world's threat to divine order. The opera uses spatial projection to tangibly present the relationship between art, ideals, and order.  

 

In the end, Lohengrin makes his secret known—that he is from the realm of the knights of the Holy Grail. This essentially symbolizes the idealistic realm of art, representing purity, holiness, and a place where doubt cannot exist. Nonetheless, once the secret is revealed, the line between the ideal and the real is dissolved. This is a metaphor for how an idealized artistic realm cannot endure in the real world, which is full of chaos and doubt. The departure of Lohengrin symbolizes a disillusion with idealism, and Elsa's death highlights the irreversibility of tragedy.

Lohengrin is not simply a tragic love story but a depiction of the contradiction between artistic idealism and reality. Through spatial projection, the revelation of a secret, and conflicts between characters, WAGNER paints us a picture of the disillusionment of artistic idealism. Even though Lohengrin's departure symbolizes the inability of the ideal to endure in reality, it highlights the importance of art itself as a vessel for the human soul and as a cultural symbol. Thus, Lohengrin is more than a classic opera—it is a deep consideration of human feeling and idealism.

This September, Weiwuying will put on Taiwan's first full-length performance of this classic display of WAGNER's artistic idealism and a testament to his timeless influence. "Bridal Chorus" is still a popular piece in our times, and the opera itself was the inspiration for the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, both testifying to the cultural depth and aesthetic value of the piece. To watch Lohengrin is to experience how this great composer reveals the essence of art and achieves noble artistic ideals through his music and drama. 

 

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9/4(Thu)-9/7(Sun)

►R. WAGNER - Lohengrin

 

 

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R. WAGNER - Lohengrin

R. WAGNER - Lohengrin

With its iconic wedding chorus, exquisite arias, and luminous orchestration, Lohengrin captivates both ear and eye while concealing profound reflections beneath its fairy tale veneer.

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