Composed by German legend Richard Wagner, Tannhauser is a three-act German-language opera based on the legends of the Tannhauser and Wargburg song contest. Through its mythic protagonist of the title, Wagner explores themes of love both sacred and banal, and the tension between them, as well as love's redemptive capacity. Wagner's command of the mythological is clearly exhibited in this work of elegant, French-style composition. After its 1845 debut, Wagner took many opportunities to edit, re-write and amend the work, with the 1975 Viennese edition being the most commonly performed to this day.
