Venusberg to Wartburg

Wagner may still have his detractors, but his gloriously outsized works of musical drama are still one of the most reliable ways to fill an opera house. Thus, as the centrepiece of this year’s Festtage, the Staatsoper have assembled a high-profile new Tannhäuser, featuring musical direction from Daniel Barenboim, choreography and staging from the occasionally controversial Sasha Waltz, and a cast of singers that would be difficult to surpass; and while Ms Waltz’s archly minimal, dance-heavy production appeared to anger some, the première performance had all the markings of a future classic. When Ms Waltz appeared on stage during the curtain calls, a few hearty boos from the back of the house could be heard through the applause. Such a harsh reaction seemed not only mean-spirited, but also wholly misguided: while, admittedly, not without…