"[Munich's] National Theater was filled with pure, exquisite Wagnerian
vocal bliss; the Bavarian State Opera was a Valhalla on earth"
(Die Welt). With Jonas Kaufmann's long-awaited role debut as Lohengrin
and Anja Harteros as Elsa, Wagner's epic of love and loss was not only
the opening premiere of the Munich Opera Festival, but its uncontested
highlight as well. Which is why the performance was followed not only by
a long-sold-out house, but also by tens of thousands of spectators at a
live public viewing event in Munich and Vienna.
Under General Music Director Kent Nagano, the ensemble of the Munich
Opera triumphantly confirmed that, with this production at the latest, it
belongs in the pantheon of the great Wagner houses of our time.
Commanding the public's attention with every note, especially in the
incredible pianissimi of the Grail Narrative, tenor Jonas Kaufmann gave
eloquent proof of his reputation as "one of the most important, and
versatile, singers of our age" (The Times). Fully matching Kaufmann's
consummate artistry is Anja Harteros, an imposing, charismatic beauty who
has been at home on the world's largest stages since her spectacular Met
debut. Renowned director Richard Jones "gives each character the required
psychological depth" (La Libre Belgique).
