Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41132 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-07-04
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: AC-3, Classical, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled
• Original language: German
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, German, French
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .28 pounds
• Running time: 185 minutes

From Amazon.com
This Tannhäuser is a fine example of something that unfortunately has become rare: a modern Wagner opera performance that Wagner would certainly have applauded. Under the artistic leadership of conductor James Levine, the production team of director Otto Schenk and designer Günther Schneider-Siemssen has adhered strictly to the composer's wishes. These are not hard to fathom; they were clearly articulated in his lifetime and rigorously enforced at Bayreuth long after his death. But in the last half-century they have been frequently violated by his descendants and heirs, among others. The temptation to plumb these music dramas for symbols and allegories is almost irresistible. In this production, like the later Met edition of the Ring cycle, the artists sensibly allow each audience member to develop a personal interpretation without undue interference. The singers--Richard Cassilly, Eva Marton, Tatiana Troyanos, Bernd Weikl, and John Macurdy--are superbly matched to their roles. --Joe McLellan

Additional Features
Cast list:

Venus: Tatiana Troyanos
Tannhäuser: Richard Cassilly
A young shepherd: Bill Blaber
Hermann, Landgrave of Thuringia: John Macurdy
Walther von der Vogelweide: Robert Nagy
Biterolf: Richard J. Clark
Wolfram von Eschenbach: Bernd Weikl
Heinrich der Schreiber: Charles Anthony
Reinmar von Zweter: Richard Vernon
Elisabeth: Eva Marton

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and Ballet conducted by James Levine