Srba Dinić conducted the so-called Dresden version of the work, which is not identical to the one heard at the world premiere in that city in October 1845, since Wagner introduced a few changes in 1846 and 1847 (in the original version, Venus did not sing in Act three). The standard cut in the duet of Elisabeth and Tannhäuser was observed, but there were some questionable additional cuts in the score. In Act one, fewer than the final 50 bars were heard of the entire first scene, the protagonist of which is the orchestra, while during the song contest in Act two the audience was deprived of Walther von der Vogelweide’s solo (as well as Tannhäuser’s preceding reaction to Wolfram’s singing). The full title of the opera is “Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg” (“Tannhäuser and the Song Contest on the Wartburg”). Without Walther’s solo, which is both short and beautiful, the intensification of the contest controversy during the performances of Tannhäuser’s fellow minstrels and during his replies is undermined. In the 1861 Paris version of the score, Wagner omitted Walther’s solo only because the singer assigned the role was inadequate. In this production, however, the role of the famous Minnesänger is sung by Filip Filipović from the Zagreb Opera ensemble, a rising young tenor who has already successfully portrayed major roles in the operas of Mozart, Verdi, Bellini, Donizetti, and Puccini.

“Tannhäuser” is an opera that sounds unmistakably Wagnerian, but with a recognizable echo of the music of Carl Maria von Weber, Heinrich Marschner, and Felix Mendelssohn. Srba Dinić was successful in achieving the character and often transparent textures inherent to German Romanticism of the first half of the 19th century. The orchestra, which generally played very well throughout the evening, though often without sufficient nobility of sound in the violins, was perhaps at its best in the prelude to Act Three and during Tannhäuser’s Rome Narration. Among the orchestral solos, that of the bass clarinet during Elisabeth’s aria, “Allmächt’ge Jungfrau,” in the same act stood out. In the overture, however, the famous broken triplet figures in the violins were not properly balanced with the pilgrims’ chorus theme in the trombones, but the balance was improved during their appearance at the end of the opera. During ensembles and chorus scenes, as well as when some of the soloists were erratic in following the tempo, Dinić skilfully managed to coordinate the pit and the stage. The stage music was prerecorded.

The Highlight of the Cast: Elisabeth
Although Evelin Novak, an ensemble member at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, was born in Croatia, this was her first opening night at the Zagreb Opera, where she had previously performed as Mimì in “La Bohème.” Making her role debut as Elisabeth, she deeply immersed herself in the character – fully, in fact, considering how she sang in Act two during her second performance. When it comes to both singing and acting, she was undoubtedly the strongest link of the premiere cast.

Her warm and rich lyric soprano was capable of both tender piano singing and executing a secure and powerful high B natural on the words “Haltet ein!” while protecting Tannhäuser in the Act two finale. Another secure high B was heard earlier near the end of “Dich, teure Halle.” Novak was especially poignant during Elisabeth’s solo leading to the finale’s concertato; after she sang the line “daß auch für ihn einst der Erlöser litt” twice (saying that the Saviour once suffered for Tannhäuser, too), tears were visible on the singer’s cheeks during the third performance. It is indeed rare to encounter a rendition of a solo that is both beautifully sung and so deeply and sincerely felt, with the singer herself being profoundly and visibly touched by the music. During the prayer “Allmächt’ge Jungfrau” in Act three, in which Elisabeth asks for her death in order to save Tannhäuser’s soul, she succeeded in maintaining clear intonation and achieving an appropriate dynamic range. She was also distinguished by her excellent German diction.

In the role of Wolfram von Eschenbach, Ljubomir Puškarić’s baritone was at its best in passages written in the style of Lied, where his pleasant timbre, ease in the upper register, and ability to sing legato in the bel canto tradition were most noticeable. This was evident both during his solo “Als du in kühnem Sange… War’s Zauber, war es reine Macht,” which introduces the ensemble of the Act one finale, and, most notably, in Wolfram’s famous Act three aria, “O du mein holder Abendstern,” which stood out as the highlight of Puškarić’s interpretation. Although his acting was not always equally refined, in the last act in general and this aria in particular, he succeeded in combining considerable technical control with warmth of performance.

Canadian tenor Eric Laporte sang the grueling title role. At first, his pleasant, bright-timbred voice might have seemed too lyrical for the part. Indeed, some of the notes in the upper register, such as those in the concertato of the Act two finale, seemed mannered and sung without sufficient power. Although his breathing technique – challenged by the brisk tempo of “Dir töne Lob!” in the first act – initially gave rise to certain doubts, he sounded fresh and was both vocally and dramatically very convincing in Tannhäuser’s Roman Narration in Act three, in which his interpretation of the title role was at its peak. He was most memorable when citing the words of the Pope, who did not want to pardon Tannhäuser’s sin of tasting the pleasures of the Venusberg. Although lyric, his voice was generally well-projected. Laporte was quite attentive to the delivery of the text when saying the names of Elisabeth and, in Act one, the Virgin Mary.

Sofija Petrović looked every bit the attractive and seductive Venus. Her dramatic mezzo sounded appealingly dark and she offered some powerful high notes, including high B and B-flat. Her voice was well-projected, with the sole exception of middle C and the register just above it.

Despite an occasional shaky vibrato, Sorin Coliban was successful in portraying the authoritative figure of Landgrave Hermann. His voice is a rich and dark bass. The roles of Walther and the Shepherd Boy were beautifully sung by the already mentioned Croatian tenor Filip Filipović, who brought stability and a special brilliance to the ensembles, and by young Croatian soprano Petra Cik, a member of the theatre’s Operatic Studio. As Biterolf, bass-baritone Ozren Bilušić was dramatically convincing, if vocally a bit nasal during the song contest. The roles of the two remaining minstrels were adequately performed by Ivo Gamulin and Siniša Štork.

The Zagreb Opera Chorus was diligently prepared by chorus master Luka Vukšić. Despite the singers being positioned too deep onstage, the pilgrims’ chorus in the first scene of Act three did not fail to excite, highlighted by a powerful tenor sound during the two “Halleluja!” exclamations.

Despite certain flaws, the third performance of “Tannhäuser” in the beautiful 1895 building of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb – commemorating the 85th anniversary of the death of Milka Trnina – proved, for the most part, to be a gratifying experience, elevated by Evelin Novak’s moving portrait of Elisabeth.

Karlo Radečić | May 24, 2026