Dramatic Values

In the spring of 1842, Richard Wagner began to combine material from two medieval legends which would eventually become the libretto for his new opera, Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg. The first story tells of the legendary medieval German Minnesänger and poet, Tannhäuser (1245-1265), as the lover of the goddess Venus. The second describes the 1207 song contest at the Wartburg Castle. Wagner's lack of time-consciousness reflects a nineteenth century romantic view of the mediaeval period...