“Time for Tannhäuser,” by Paul du Quenoy

“Time for Tannhäuser,” by Paul du Quenoy

Richard Wagner composed Tannhäuser, his second “mature” opera, while he was the kapellmeister of the Royal Saxon Court in Dresden. The opera succeeded at its premiere in 1845, when the composer was only thirty-two. Just three years later, Wagner was on the run after participating in revolutionary events in Germany. He spent most of his dozen years of exile in Switzerland, where Zürich offered him a congenial home to continue his career. After mo…