大象传媒

Act I
(Scene: Medieval Germany - Wartburg Castle and surrounding area)聽Tannh盲user, a minnesinger (courtly German lyric poet or singer), has spent a year in the magical underground realm of Venus.聽 He sings his praise of Venus but, to her surprise, expresses his desire to return to the human world.聽 Venus offers even greater pleasure if he聽should stay, but聽Tannh盲user聽repeats his longing for salvation and聽is angrily dismissed.聽 His hope, he now cries, is with the Virgin Mary.聽聽
Suddenly,聽Tannh盲user聽arrives at a shrine close to Wartburg Castle.聽 A group of pilgrims passes through, bound for Rome, prompting聽Tannh盲user聽to sing God's praises.聽 Horns announce the arrival of Landgrave Hermann (a local prince) and his knights who are out hunting.聽 The group fondly remembers聽Tannh盲user聽and try to persuade him to go back to the castle with them.聽聽Tannh盲user聽eventually agrees following the mention of the Landgrave's niece, Elisabeth, who had previously fallen in love at the sound of his singing.聽聽


ACT II
Another minnesinger, Wolfram, leads Elisabeth into Wartburg Castle's song hall.聽 She has not been inside since聽Tannh盲user聽departed and describes her suffering during his time away.聽 Tannh盲user and Elisabeth sing together in praise of love and Wolfram, who also has feelings for Elisabeth, realises his love for her won't be reciprocated.聽聽
The song contest, which is on the subject of love, is declared open with Elisabeth's hand in marriage the prize.聽 Wolfram opens the competition singing of the beauty of virtuous love, only for聽Tannh盲user聽to burst into song about his own sensuous views of love.聽 At this Elisabeth must save him from the swords of the angry knights and the Landgrave decrees that聽Tannh盲user聽can only be forgiven and allowed Elisabeth's hand in mariage if he joins the pilgrims in journeying to Rome to seek absolution.聽聽


ACT III聽 聽
Several months have passed and Wolfram has found Elisabeth praying at the shrine for聽Tannh盲user's safe return.聽 A group of pilgrims goes past, but her love is not with them.聽 Elisabeth, returning to the castle, prays that her soul will be taken to heaven.聽 A ragged and weary聽Tannh盲user appears later that evening, but his forgiveness has not been granted.聽 He explains to Wolfram that he would only be pardoned if the Pope's staff sprouted flowers.聽 The hopeless聽Tannh盲user聽summons Venus, but as she appears so does Elisabeth's funeral procession.聽 Venus vanishes as聽Tannh盲user聽kneels in prayer, asking Elisabeth to in turn pray for him in heaven, before collapsing dead himself.聽 As dawn breaks, a young group of pilgrims arrive describing a miracle: they are carrying the Pope's staff, which has blossomed.聽聽