Today’s choice was composed whilst Wagner was Kapellmeister at the royal court in Dresden between 1842 and 1845.
Tannhäuser is his fifth opera and combines elements from two medieval legends, focused on a singer town between religious and secular love.
The overture opens with the slow Pilgrims’ Chorus music, alongside faster music for the mystical world of the Venusberg – a mountain under which is hidden the Roman goddess Venus, who has been hiding since Christianity began – her call is played by the clarinet.
The Listening Project Blog 