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Wagner’s middle stage output began with Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman, 1843), followed by Tannhäuser (1845) and Lohengrin (1850). These three operas are sometimes referred to as Wagner’s “romantic operas”.[154] They reinforced the reputation, among the public in Germany and beyond, that Wagner had begun to establish with Rienzi. Although distancing himself from the style of these operas from 1849 onwards, he nevertheless reworked both Der fliegende Holländer and Tannhäuser on several occasions.[n 14] These three operas are considered to represent a significant developmental stage in Wagner’s musical and operatic maturity as regards thematic handling, portrayal of emotions and orchestration.
The singing year has started for me as well as the Arbourist. My teacher and I have set two goals for this year:
- That I will develop good practicing habits
- That I will finally let my big voice out at its full size
In furtherance of these goals, she’s assigned me big, challenging repertoire that there’s no way I’ll be able to manage without practicing my butt off. Which, it turns out, means All the Wagner.
Since the theme for this semester is Art Song, I’m working on three of his five Wesendonck Lieder. Two (“Traume” and “Der Engel”) I’ve tried before and found I’d bitten off more than I could chew but maybe I’ll be ready for them now; new into the mix this year is “Stehe Still”. It is an absolute privilege to be challenged with such gorgeous music. Here’s Jessye Norman, my vocal hero, singing “Stehe Still”:
Is it an amazing piece of music or what? All those weird intervals, and completely unexpected chord changes, and yet it just completely works!
Richard Wagner wrote the Wesendonck Lieder while he was staying at the estate of Otto and Mathilde Wesendonck. There’s controversy over exactly what may or may not have transpired between Richard and Mathilde, but there’s little doubt that they were intensely infatuated with one another. Wagner put aside his work on the Ring Cycle during his time at the Wesendonck’s, and wrote his Wesendonck Lieder – settings of Mathilde Wesendonck’s poetry – and Tristan und Isolde during this period. Wikipedia entry
As I was practicing this evening, there occurred a confluence of events that has cost me not only the remaining hours of today, but also my heart. (1)Working on some Wagner, wondering what the hell “sehr massig bewegt” really means as a tempo marking, so I decided to see what there was on Youtube. (2) Scribbled in the margin of my music, the advice of my singing teacher: “Listen to Jessie Norman.”
Turns out I misspelled her name, but I found her anyway. I hereby declare my rapturous and awestruck utter fangirl love for Jessye Norman. She was born in Augusta Georgia, September 15, 1945. She was singing gospel music in her church by age 4, and became an opera fan when she heard a radio broadcast at age 9. Since then, the list of her accomplishments is an enormous wall of text. This is a woman whose voice can do basically everything. She can sing the whole range of female voices, from deep contralto to the top of the dramatic soprano range. And she can act! and and and I tell you what, how about I show, rather than tell. Some of the following videos are long but I promise you, you will not regret the time you spend.
bleatmop
Mystro
Dead Wild Roses 
Your opinions…