Tannhäuser
Première Tannhäuser: 15 May 2026 HNK, Zagreb
Tannhäuser
Co-production with the Slovene National Theatre Maribor
Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser from 1845 marks a transitional moment in his oeuvre, poised between early Romantic influences and the musical dramas of his mature period. Drawing on legends of medieval minstrels, Wagner penned the libretto himself. Torn between sacred and carnal love, the protagonist Tannhäuser abandons the sensual world of the goddess Venus. Seeking redemption in the human world, he meets and falls in love with the pious Elisabeth. However, his public confession of Venus and his passions at a song contest leads to his banishment, forcing him to travel to Rome to seek the Pope’s forgiveness. The Pope denies him forgiveness, but after the death of Elisabeth, whose pure love for him was a source of hope, Tannhäuser is saved. Elisabeth redeems him with her love. With its use of leitmotifs and through-composed form, Tannhäuser anticipates the artistic direction Wagner would fully embrace in his later works. Philosophically and symbolically, the opera is driven by dualities, musically conveyed through the contrast between the sensual and the spiritual. Religious scenes such as the pilgrims’ chorus and Elisabeth’s prayer form a powerful counterpoint to the chromatics of Venus’s seductive music.
The production is directed by Frank Van Laecke, a Belgian director with a distinguished international career in opera, musical theatre and drama, who has won numerous awards at home and abroad, including a nomination for the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award in the UK. His oeuvre showcases his ability to honour classical forms while revitalising traditional operatic aesthetics. Renowned conductor Srba Dini?, a long-standing collaborator of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, once again leads the orchestra, bringing a wealth of experience from conducting major orchestras and soloists.
Cast
Tannhäuser – Eric Laporte, Bryan Register
Elisabeth – Valentina Fijacko Kobic, Evelin Novak, Maja Sremec (studijski)
Venus – Sofija Petrovic, Gabriela Georgieva, Dubravka Šeparovic Mušovic
Wolfram von Eschenbach – Jaka Mihelac, Ljubomir Puškaric, Jurica Jurasic Kapun (studijski)
Hermann – Sorin Coliban, Sava Vemic
Walther von der Vogelweide – Filip Filipovic, Roko Radovan
Biterolf – Ozren Bilušic, Siniša Hapac
Heinrich der Schreiber – Ivo Gamulin, Josip Švagelj
Reinmar von Zweter – Siniša Štork, Toni Nežic
Shepherd – Petra Cik, Hana Ilcic
First Page – Mima Karaula, Ana Zebic
Second Page – Rea Alaburic, Patricija Žudetic
Third Page – Vedrana Zrnic, Marija Posavac
Fourth Page – Tena Lebaric Raškovic, Lidija Madjercic
Creatives
Conductors – Srba Dinic, Ivan Josip Skender
Director – Frank Van Laecke
Set and Costume Designer – Philippe Miesch
Lighting Designers – Marc Heinz, Frank Van Laecke
Choreographer – Daan Wijnands
Assistant Conductor – Barbara Kajin
Assistant Director – Marta Tutiš
Assistant Costume Designer – Ana Trischler
Choir Master – Luka Vukšic
