Every June since 2006, the Budapest Wagner Days series has presented the works of Germany's legendary operatic composer under artistic director Ádám Fischer. These productions on the stage of the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall represent a new style of opera performance, breaking with tradition to recast Wagner's monumental works.
The creators of the 2012 Tannhäuser production, Ádám Fischer and director Matthias Oldag, attempted to capture the essence of Wagner's piece - the polar opposites of love, namely the tension between the sensual attraction and the ‘pure', idealised emotion - and present it to today's audiences using the modern tools of the stage.
"We wanted to show the conflicts,” Ádám Fischer professes in the film, referring to the way in which Tannhäuser is torn between two worlds, and what happens to those who attempt to break free of customary societal boundaries.
Matthias Oldag's direction explores the state of art, and reveals what happens in a society that lacks it. The rebellious Artist is defined in the character of Tannhäuser, who has no place in ‘moral' middle-class society.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest