Roth and Kinmonth bring Dresden version of Tannhäuser to Cologne

General Music Director of the City of Cologne, François-Xavier Roth and Anglo-Irish director and polymath Patrick Kinmonth join forces for the first time to open the season at Oper Köln's Staatenhaus with the original 1845 Dresden version of Wagner's Tannhäuser. 

Tannhäuser was revised many times by its composer, the two most drastic being the 1861 Paris version with the extended music for Venus and the ballet. The most often performed is the 1875 Vienna version, a fusion of the two pre-existing versions but with some new music further blurring the compositional form.  

Wagner was never at peace with his Tannhäuser, his wife Cosima noted in her diary three weeks before the composer's death "He says he still owes the world Tannhäuser"; perhaps this is it?

The production will run for nine performances from 24 September until 1 November, 2017.