Wagner, R.: Tannhauser

   in Opera Now (Sep, 2015)
Potentially more tempting for me would have been Tannhauser, filmed at Bayreuth. Sebastian Beumgarten’s concept sounds intriguing, promising to question the very artistic process that creates the opera using installation art by Joep van Lieshout. Alas, it falls well short of its promise. The poor audience is subjected to ceaselessly labouring extras and abstract orchestral noise before the performance and during the intervals (my companion left the room while I was watching it, driven away by the endless racket). Some of the audience is seated onstage, so the performance is totally immersive. How unfortunate for them. They are part of van Lieshout’s onstage machine which encompasses the action. The accompanying booklet …