Richard Wagner: Tannhäuser (Live from Bayreuth Festival 1989)

Live from Bayreuth Festival 1989

“Thundering applause”, wrote the prestigious “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, and Rome’s “La Republica“ noted the “triumphal success and storm of applause” that greeted Giuseppe Sinopoli and the ensemble at Tannhäuser’s 1989 Bayreuth Festival premiere. Directed by Wolfgang Wagner, Richard Wagner’s grandson, this production was one of the highlights of the Bayreuth Festival during the late 1980s. The abstract starkness of Wolfgang Wagner’s production is underscored by the crystalline clarity and vigour of Giuseppe Sinopoli’s conducting, which particularly highlights the progressive aspects of the score. This production gathers together some of the great names and talents in Wagner interpretation such as Cheryl Studer – who became famous because of this performance – her voice is simply a dream come true, Wolfgang Brendel, Richard Versalle and Hans Sotin. This recording is superbly conducted and wonderfully sung and almost immediately achieved the status of a classic. Giuseppe Sinopoli was one of the leading figures of all time on the Wagnerian scene