Tradition in Vienna, Laboratory Experiment in Bayreuth: Graeme Feggetter assesses contrasting productions of ‘Lohengrin’

These two DVDs of Lohengrin are polar opposites, both in their interpretation of the opera and in the style of the DVDs themselves. The 1990 Viennese production, which was directed for video by Brian Large, is a fine example of the early style of operatic DVDs. We see the beautifully lit Staatsoper from the Ringstrasse, then the audience in their seats, the entry of the conductor, Claudio Abbado, and the orchestra, during each of the preludes. We are very clearly in an opera house and the viewpoint of the cameras is that of the audience, though one would have to be in the front row to see some of the close-ups. By contrast, the Björn Verloh video production for Bayreuth never shows us the Festspielhaus, the audience or the orchestra, opening with a black screen for each of the preludes, before presenting cartoons of rats or a dog during the music. We are allowed to hear the audience response to each act, including a loud boo after Act I and further booing at the close, overwhelmed by ecstatic applause at the lengthy curtain calls.