Opera "Tannhäuser": what is the essence of the scandal? "Tannhäuser", Wagner

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In 2015, the theatrical world of Russia was shaken by the scandal associated with the opera Tannhäuser, which was staged at the Novosibirsk theater. He led to several high-profile personnel decisions at this cultural institution.

The plot of "Tannhäuser"

Just look at the plot of the opera to understand the essence of the scandal. Tannhäuser is far from a new work. The opera was written by Richard Wagner in 1845. It touches on many religious topics. According to the plot, the protagonist Tannhäuser experiences the fall with the ancient goddess Venus. The opera also features the image of Jesus Christ and the Christian God.

For the 19th century, this was a very free production that many religious dogmatists might not like. However, Germany is a Protestant country where the principles of freedom of conscience and religion have long existed. The opera, like many other works by Wagner, has become a classic of world theater.

Criticism of the Russian Orthodox Church

It is necessary to understand the confrontation between the Ministry of Culture and the theater staff in order to understand the essence of the scandal. "Tannhäuser" was criticized by the Russian OrthodoxChurch. A public dispute arose after Tikhon (Metropolitan of Novosibirsk and Berdsk) complained about the opera. At the same time, the church leader himself did not see the performance, but referred to the indignation of some Orthodox spectators of the local theater.

The Metropolitan several times publicly criticized Tannhäuser. In particular, he demanded that he be removed from the theatre's repertoire. In addition, Tikhon called on the Orthodox residents of Novosibirsk to go to a rally (standing in prayer) against “blasphemy against Jesus Christ,” etc.

Administrative case against Kulyabin

For the first time the opera house showed the production of "Tannhäuser" in December 2014. Its author was the famous director Timofey Kulyabin. He publicly defended his offspring in every possible way from criticism of the Russian Orthodox Church, primarily appealing to the fact that there is freedom of speech in the country.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the court proceedings that began in connection with this story in order to understand the essence of the scandal. "Tannhäuser" led to the fact that the prosecutor's office of the Novosibirsk region opened an administrative case against Kulyabin. He was accused of insulting the feelings of believers. Another defendant in this process was Boris Mezdrich, director of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. The case was opened in February 2015, and it was then that the scandal first reached the federal level. The leading media drew attention to the incident, after which the whole country became aware of this story.

The position of the theater community

When it became known about the court case against Mezdrich and Kulyabin, they were supported by almost all the famous theatrical figures of the country. It was a rare example of guild solidarity among numerous actors and directors. The performance was supported by: Mark Zakharov, Oleg Tabakov, Valery Fokin, Kirill Serebryannikov, Yevgeny Mironov, Chulpan Khamatova, Oleg Menshikov, Irina Prokhorova, Dmitry Chernyakov and others. At the same time, theater critics in their reviews spoke positively about the artistic features of the opera Tannhäuser. Novosibirsk has become the epicenter of the country's cultural news for several months.

A few weeks later, the court closed the proceedings against Mezdrich and Kulyabin. But the flywheel has already been spun. After the failure with the Prosecutor General's Office, supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church began to complain to the Investigative Committee, the FSB and other state bodies. This agenda was intercepted by the Ministry of Culture. It became Tannhäuser's main opponent.

On March 29, 2015, Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky fired Boris Mezdrich, director of the Novosibirsk theater. The reason was that the latter consistently defended the opera and did not remove it from the repertoire despite criticism from the church and its supporters.

The Ministry demanded that Mezdrich, if not to remove the performance, then at least make the plot changes demanded by the activists. The director was also ordered to cut funding for the production. He refused to do all this, after which he was fired. So the scandalous opera "Tannhäuser" led to even greater conflict in society.

Dismissal of Mezdrich

Vladimir Kekhman was appointed to replace the dismissed Mezdrich. Prior to that, he also directed the St. Petersburg Mikhailovsky Theater. However, much more Kekhman was known as a businessman. In the 90s, he created the largest fruit import company on the Russian market, for which he was nicknamed the “banana king”. Due to his previous non-theater activities, many cultural figures criticized the personnel decision of Minister Vladimir Medinsky.

The colorful Kekhman was declared bankrupt in 2012. Prior to his appointment as theater director, he publicly called for Tannhäuser to be banned. Opera, in his opinion, offended the feelings of believers and was blasphemy. On March 31, 2015, Vladimir Kekhman, who had just become the director of the theater, removed the performance from the repertoire. It is curious that Vladimir Medinsky did not support this decision, saying that the opera needed only adjustments.

Censorship dispute

The confrontation between the director Kulyabin and the Ministry of Culture is what is the essence of the scandal (“Tannhäuser” is not considered by everyone to be a scandalous production). This conflict has led to a heated debate about whether there is censorship in state theaters. Minister Medinsky denied this wording and referred to Russian law.

In addition to the fact that the Tannhäuser story led to criticism of the Ministry of Culture, a dispute over legislation affecting religious issues flared up in society with renewed vigor. According to the Constitution, Russia is a secular state. itmeans that any church and religious organization is separated from the authorities. The principle of freedom of religion is also enshrined in Russia. All these legal norms became the main arguments for the defense of director Kulyabin and director Mezdrich in court.

Reconstruction of the theater

Opponents and supporters of "Tannhäuser" at various times organized several actions to publicly demonstrate their position. The “prayer stand” against the production of the opera brought together hundreds of Orthodox activists who demanded that Kulyabin be left without work.

Interestingly, after the scandal, the Novosibirsk Opera House was temporarily closed for reconstruction. The new director, Vladimir Kekhman, announced this a week after he was appointed to his position. Therefore, already in April, all productions of performances were stopped in the theater.

The management of the institution attributed the closure to economic reasons. The renovation of the auditorium, dressing rooms, foyer and rehearsal classrooms has begun in the building. It was then that interest in the scandal that caused the play "Tannhäuser" began to subside. The opera never appeared again on the Novosibirsk stage.

Public outcry

It should be noted that even before the appointment of Kekhman, the Ministry of Culture organized a public discussion of the sensational Novosibirsk production. Directors, theater critics and representatives of the church gathered within the walls of this institution. They tried to discuss the opera Tannhäuser, whose libretto was written by Wagner, butdialogue failed.

Supporters of the production referred to the document "Fundamentals of Cultural Policy" adopted in the Kremlin, which briefly described the actions of the state in the field of culture. It emphasized the passages concerning the creation of all necessary conditions for the realization of the creative potential of any citizen. This principle was completely at odds with the position taken by church hierarchs who criticized the opera.

Theatrical critics also noted that the performance is a recognized international classic of the genre. This opera is staged at the best venues in the world. It should also be evaluated taking into account the fact that it was written by a person who lived in the 19th century - Richard Wagner. "Tannhäuser" eloquently conveys the vision of the world that was popular in that era. One way or another, but the religious leaders and their opponents failed to agree. The Tannhäuser case remains the most publicized of its kind to date.