Munich in 1867 and in Vienna in 1875. Differences are analyzed closely, with
details of the revision process. Full of valuable insights into the compositional
act and into structural questions. All important editions and secondary litera-
ture are cited in 42 footnotes. Texts of 11 letters are in an appendix. A fuller
treatment of this research is in Abbate’s dissertation, “The ‘Parisian’
Tannhäuser” (Princeton U., 1984).- Abbate, Carolyn. “Erik’s Dream and Tannhäuser’s Journey.” In Reading
Opera(#218), 129–167.
The dream of Erik in Der fliegende Holländerand Tannhäuser’s narrative are
common romantic types, found more often in spoken drama than in opera.
Story telling or dream telling requires coherence in the text, contrary to the
repeats and out-of-order material of the aria form. Sometimes recitative is used
for the story, but usually—before 1850—narratives were simply avoided in
opera. Erik’s dream particularizes the generality of Senta’s preceding ballad;
Senta understands, listening to the dream story, what will occur. The dream
tale is an intrusion into the order of the opera up to that point. Tannhäuser’s
narrative begins in formal structure, then dissolves into “musical anarchy.” - Strohm, Reinhard. “Dramatic Time and Operatic Form in Wagner’s Tann-
häuser.” PRMA104 (1977–1978): 1–10.
A perceptive study of what might be called “real time” (not Strohm’s term) as
opposed to operatic time, in this work and in operas in general. Spoken drama
“proceeds mainly along the time lapse required by speech,” but opera has
another layer of “musically organized time” over it. Only recitative is in real
time. The general tendency (as per Dahlhaus) in opera is toward “expansion of
moments.” Tannhäuser is exceptional in its adherence to real time, so that
events take place as they might in spoken drama. Even the interval between
acts 1 and 2 corresponds to the time needed for the situation in the next scene
to develop. During arias, action is continuing. Only the act 3 prelude departs
from the pattern, distorting real time to take in the entire pilgrimage. - Hopkinson, Cecil. “Tannhäuser”: An Examination of 36 Editions.Tutzing:
Schneider, 1973. 48p. ISBN 3-7952-0122-5. ML410 .W235 N8.
Wagner wrote the libretto in 1843 and the music in 1844; the premiere took
place in Dresden, 1845. Many printings of the work followed. Hopkinson
gives bibliographic descriptions and locations of 36 publications, the last from - Facsimiles, notes, comments, quotes from Wagner.
See also #1973.
Tristan und Isolde
ASO 34/35 (1981), ENOG 6 (1981).
- Bailey, Robert. “The Genesis of Tristan und Isoldeand a Study of Wagner’s
Sketches and Drafts for the First Act.” Ph.D. diss., Princeton U., 1969. 390p.
The author’s abstract states that he was able to derive “the full story of how
Tristanwas put together act by act.” He also offered a contribution toward “a
new musical and dramatic analysis of the first act.”
386 Opera