Metropolitan Opera Archives

Two notable young singers sang leading roles for the first time in the Metropolitan Opera's performance of Wagner's Tannhäuser" Wednesday. Soprano Sharon Sweet appeared as the saintly Elisabeth: mezzo-soprano Waltraud Meier was Venus.

"Was is a good way to describe Meier’s embodiment of the goddess of sensual love. She was totally convincing as the character, exuding something most operatic divas don't give us — sex.

In her every insinuating movement and her great physical beauty, Meier surely was the sexiest goddess anyone could desire, and the role probably hasn't been better sung in our time. Meier's voice has all the brilliant top and thunderous bottom needed, while her tawny middle range strikingly recalls that of the great Kerstin Thorborg.

Sweet's ample physical attributes recall those of another great singer, Eileen Farrell, and so did her generous, full throated and most expressive singing. Indeed, when Sweet didn't recall Farrell, she sounded like Flagstad.

Her movements were by necessity economical, but they were always executed with taste and clear meaning. At any rate, most if not all of the drama in the role of St. Elisabeth is in the voice, and Sweet surely has plenty of that.

Heidi Grant Murphy, new as the Shepherd, sang with bright, pert tone. The familiar cast members, headed by a very tired-sounding Reiner Goldberg in the title role, performed their assignments much as they did in the first performance. Fortunately, so did the Chorus.

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