Lohengrin by Wagner, No (2022/2022), Režisēja Olivier Py,, Diriģents Tahu Matheson, Arts Centre Melbourne, Southbank, Australia

In a romance of mythical proportions, our Knight of the Swan rescues his damsel asking only one thing in return… Elsa stands accused of a horrible crime. She prays for a champion, and a noble knight appears. But his help comes with a condition: she must never ask his name. Does true love demand blind faith? Lohengrin is a fantastical romance. It’s filled with shimmering string passages and angelic choruses, including the famous Bridal March. Wagner described his music as “streams of gold, ravishing the senses of the beholder”. Tahu Matheson conducts a stunning cast. Emily Magee is Elsa, while Elena Gabouri sings the conniving Ortrud. Marco Vratogna performs as the deceived Telramund, and Jonas Kaufmann is the noble Lohengrin. Director Olivier Py sets this battle between good and evil in the ruins of Berlin in the aftermath of World War II. A monumental revolving tiered set depicts a decaying theatre, where emblems of German Romanticism gather dust. The result is a “thoughtful and audacious piece of theatre” — Opera Traveller