Lohengrin – Wagner's Romantic Myth Reimagined in Tallinn, Performed by the Estonian National Opera, conducted by Arvo Volmer
- Arashk Azizi
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Last week, I finally attended a performance I’ve been waiting for a long time—Lohengrin by Richard Wagner, staged by the Estonian National Opera (Rahvusooper Estonia). Yes, it’s the one with the famous wedding march, but this opera is far more than just that melody. It’s a monumental work of Romantic grandeur, and experiencing it live was unforgettable. The music was striking, the singers were nothing short of unbelievable, and the costume design was absolutely stunning. Unfortunately, the set design didn’t quite rise to the same level.
The Opera
Lohengrin is one of Wagner’s most influential and widely performed operas. Completed in 1848, it premiered in Weimar in 1850 under the baton of none other than Franz Liszt, one of Wagner’s greatest supporters. This opera marked an important step in Wagner’s journey toward what he would later call Gesamtkunstwerk—the total artwork, where music, drama, and visual design merge into a singular experience.
The story, based on medieval German legend, follows the mysterious knight Lohengrin, who arrives in a boat pulled by a swan to defend the honor of Elsa, a young noblewoman wrongfully accused. But there’s a condition: she must never ask his name or origin. The opera delves into themes of faith, mystery, power, and the limits of trust—wrapped in Wagner’s soaring orchestration and intricate vocal writing.
Many great musicians have spoken highly of Lohengrin. Anton Bruckner was profoundly inspired by its mystical atmosphere. Wagner himself considered it a turning point in his development, saying it “contained the seed of all his future works.” And the prelude to Act I—delicate, shimmering, and building to a glowing climax—is often hailed as one of the most beautiful orchestral openings in the repertoire.
The Performance
The orchestra, conducted by Arvo Volmer, was fantastic. As expected, the musical direction was smooth, precise, and rich in detail. One of the most impressive choices was placing four trumpet players in the first-floor balconies. This clever move added a dramatic grandeur to the scenes involving the king. Whenever he appeared, these trumpets would roar, announcing his presence with regal force. And when he was meant to be distant, they played from the back of the balconies, making the sound feel far away—an effective and immersive touch.
That said, the Estonian National Opera’s orchestra pit is not large, and Wagner’s scoring demands a monumental sound. While the musicians performed brilliantly, the sheer volume and force that Wagner’s brass-heavy moments call for was occasionally missing. I’ve experienced that visceral shake in my chest during Wagner before—especially in Eesti kontserdisaal's 2024 concert of Wagner excerpts—but here, that overwhelming wave of sound never quite arrived. The balcony trumpets helped compensate, but there were moments where the sonic power didn’t match the emotional weight of the scenes. Don't get me wrong, it was epic and grandure when it needed to be, it just missed a bit of wild Wagnerism in my opinion.
Now, about the singers. In one word: unbelievable. Their performances were simply astonishing. One thought I kept returning to during the opera was how superhuman opera singers truly are. They must act, sing flawlessly, interpret deep emotional material, and deliver long lines in foreign languages—all while staying in tune and on beat, and conveying the full drama of their character. And they do all this live, without microphones. It’s nothing short of awe-inspiring. Just imagine you need to learn a full 3-hour script in your second, third or fourth language, then go on stage and as you act the same as a professional theatre actor, also sing all the lines to their most striking effect. remember the melody and the beat and bring on such a performance that awes the audience. Hard work, hard work indeed!
The Costumes
If there’s one visual element that elevated this production, it was the costume design. The attention to detail was incredible. Each character’s wardrobe spoke volumes before they even opened their mouths. You could tell the aristocrats from the peasants, the noble from the scheming, just by their garments. There was no sense of artificiality—the costumes felt like real clothes worn by real people from the era. They didn’t just support the drama; they became part of it. This seamless integration of costume and character was one of the highlights of the entire evening. I simply can't emphasise how jaw dropping the costume design was, you really need to go and see this one by yourself.
The Set Design
Unfortunately, the set design was the weak link of the production. From the very first scene, something felt off. The moment the curtains rose, I found myself asking, “Where’s the lake?” Lohengrin is famously introduced as arriving by boat, pulled by a swan through shimmering waters. But here, he was brought in via canoe—on dry land. People casually walked around him, as if the canoe were just sitting on a muddy path. Was it supposed to be symbolic water? Soil? I couldn’t tell.
And then came the swan. Oh the swan! Not the grand, magical creature one might expect in an opera so rich in symbolism, but a lifeless little toy bird, dropped onto the stage with no presence or theatrical weight. A clearly dead swan, but somehow everyone had to act like it is a living moving swan. With the canoe's arrival and the disappointing swan on the stage, what should have been a miraculous, mystical, and pivotal moment in the opera instead felt awkward, grotesque, and even slightly comical.
It didn’t stop there. Throughout the opera, there were elements of the stage design that simply didn’t make sense. Worse, from my seat in the second balcony, I could see on the side walls of the stage—exposed pipes, a fire extinguisher, dark cloth haphazardly thrown to hide equipment. It shattered the illusion. The magic, so carefully built by the music and acting, was undercut by these avoidable distractions.
Perhaps the budget was heavily spent on the incredible costumes, leaving little room for visual staging. Or maybe it was a stylistic choice. Either way, the result felt mismatched. The singers and musicians delivered on Wagner’s grandeur, but the set design didn’t support the scale of their work.
Final Thoughts
Wagner’s Lohengrin is a towering work in operatic history—a story of mystery, power, and tragic beauty wrapped in unforgettable music. The Estonian National Opera (Rahvusooper Estonia) brought this masterpiece to life with passion and precision. While there were some limitations and flaws to be pointed out, the artistry of the performers, conductor, and costume designers made this production one to remember. This Lohengrin offered moments of genuine magic—and left me thankful to have witnessed it.
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