The return of the missed Swan Knight: Lohengrin is back at the Met after seventeen years.

There was a time when Richard Wagner's Lohengrin, was one of the classic repertoire operas at  the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, whose presence was as constant as La Traviata, Tosca, Aida, La Bohème or The Magic Flute, to mention some popular titles which are constantly scheduled at the famous operatic venue nowadays. Season after season, the greatest tenors delighted the audience by giving unforgatettable renditions of the title role: Lauritz Melchior, René Maison, Sandor Konya, Torsten Ralf, Hans Hopf, Max Lorenz, Set Svanholm, Brian Sullivan, René Kollo, Plácido Domingo and Peter Hofmann, just to name some. However, after a last performance run in 1986 (immortalized on video), it wasn't performed 1998, in a then poorly received minimalistic production by Robert Wilson, which on the other hand featured the one of the best Lohengrin in those days: Ben Heppner. After a revival in 2006, this title has been absent from the Met's repertoire until last March. Seventeen years of absence, for a title so loved by the audience, seems too long. In fact, other Wagner operas such as Die Meistersinger or the Ring cycle itself, both more difficult to stage than Lohengrin, have been seen much more frequently in recent decades at the MET.  Has this absence been possible due to the difficulty to find a cast able to make justice to their parts? Whatever the reason could be, New Yorkers can only celebrate this sought-after comeback.

François Girard, already a regular at the Met after his productions of Parsifal and The Flying Dutchman, is the director for this new staging. Initially, it was to be a co-production with the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, which has already premiered this production last year, but due to the war in Ukraine, any co-operation with Bolshoi Theatre has been withdrawn. I read some unenthusiastic criticism of this production, as if they blamed it for Lohengrin possibly being ostracized again from the Met's repertoire because of it. However, although this staging may be conservative, or even boring for fans of regietheater and demanding minds, the truth is that it has a magic and visual beauty that not only comes along  but also suggests more than it shows. If Lohengrin became a work with such a powerful nationalist language, this is somewhat shown in this production, in a setting that turns this work into a magical fairy tale, but with a tragic background. In this opera, the authorities are weak. The people are weak. Even villains are weak, abusing other weak people. Only Elsa's hope, can make Lohengrin appear to turn the situation around and bring justice back, but at the cost of everyone's dependence, since nothing can be done without him. The dangerous necessity for a strong leader instead of the strength of a united, organized people. 

The staging sets the work in an apparently post-apocalyptic world, whose aesthetics are reminiscent of popular epics such as The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. In a vaulted grotto with a huge hole from which the moon and stars are visible,  during the overture seem to collide with each other, destroying the moon, suggesting that only a new and primitive life underground is possible. In an interestic visual dramatic display, the costumes have so many layers as they reflect how the action and different moods are taking place, by changing their costume colours: white, green, red and black. So, we can see the contrast between the haughty red of Telramund and Ortrud, the noble white of Elsa and Lohengrin, and the green of King Henry and the Herald.  Act Three shows Ortrud casting spells during the prelude, to later reveal the starry sky, seen behind enormous walls, which for the first time give us the impression of leaving the cave. But this happiness, we know well, is short-lived. 

The Met Orchestra is conducted by Yannick Nézet-Seguin, who achieves a solemn, rather lyrical, intimist conducting. If there is something really outstanding here, it is the strings of the orchestra, which manage to recreate the celestial aura of the prelude to the work, or the darkness and bitterness of the prelude to the second act, always in a brilliant, pristine sound. Brass seem, however, more restrained, so the interlude of the third act sound more conventional than apotheosic(like in the unforgettable Levine's 1986 rendition, when they hit, move us profoundly ). The Met Choir does achieve excellence in singing and acting.

It is difficult to find a cast able to do justice to this work nowadays. Andthis production it has not been the exception, but if there is something beyond doubt, it is the amazing Piotr Beczała's rendition of  Lohengrin. The Polish tenor has shown a charisma that is unrivaled in the cast, with a voice with a heroic tone and at the same time conveying nobility and youthful lyricism. His entrance was radiant, but the In Fernem Land was, knowing it's hackneyed to say it, the most exciting moment in the performance because of  his devoted, exquisite singing, specially the pianos singing when he tells the noble origin of his role. 

The only singer of the cast not to be second to him, however more at a performing than singing level, is Christine Goerke as Ortrud, who despite not being in her total prime, has enough charisma, enough sense of drama for her tremendous character, which she turns into a sinister, resentful, fearsome woman, a true sorceress. She uses the low voice for a tragic, scary intonation, making his character more repulsive and dangerous. Goerke's voice is still very good, despite some difficulties in high notes, something that perceived during the famous curse scene in Act 2, but the voice is still authoritative, impressive. Her acting skills reveal an accomplished portrait of the role, being her Ortrud a vengeful woman, still waiting to get her throne back.

Tamara Wilson is a well-sung Elsa, but not at the level of her co-star, despite the fact that in her arias she achieves sweet renditions. Evgeny Nikitin is a Telramund who in an acting level conveys the arrogance and repulsion that the character gives off, but vocally he has ups and downs, alternating nice, moments of vocal authority with others with a rather listless singing. Gunther Groissböck is a King Heinrich who at a vocal level  despite being well sung is not the most authoritative vocal portray, but he improves significantly during the performance. Brian Mulligan, on the other hand, is a dissapointing Herald, with a voice that is too light for the role, since his light tone suggests a tenor singing rather than a baritone one.

The March 18 performance has been seen worldwide in the 2022-2023 Met in Live HD season, telecasted to cinemas in many countries around the world, and later in video. That is how the joy of the audience filling the hall is now shared by millions of viewers around the world, who are now able to see and make their own opinion on this show. The eagerness of the audience to see this work was palpable in the applause of the public. For this reason, without being a musically referential rendition of this opera, just feeling the emotion of listening to the heavenly first minutes of the overture is worth it. I wish it won't be many years absent again!

My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.

Most of the photographs are from the internet and belong to its authors. My use of them is only cultural. If someone is uncomfortable with their use, just notify it to me.

Any reproduction of my text requires my permission.