The world premiere of Wagner's "Lohengrin", 1850
A small ducal theatre gave the first performance of an opera whose composer could not attend, because the police were looking for him.
On 28 August 1850 the Weimar court theatre gave the world premiere of Richard Wagner's "Lohengrin", conducted by Franz Liszt. It is the evening that put a small court theatre into the history of opera, and the composer was not in the building.
Why Wagner was not there
Wagner had been Hofkapellmeister in Dresden since 1843, and he took part in the Dresden May uprising of 1849. When it failed he fled the country; a warrant was published against him on 16 May 1849, and from the end of July he lived in Zürich.[1] Because he was wanted in Saxony, he could not attend the premiere of his own opera.[1][2]
How the premiere came to Weimar
It came through Liszt, and it came in two steps. In 1849 Liszt staged Wagner's "Tannhäuser" in Weimar, and it was on the strength of that production that the exiled composer entrusted him with the first performance of "Lohengrin" the following year.[3] A court theatre in a small residence town got the work because its Kapellmeister was willing to programme a fugitive.
The evening, 28 August 1850
The premiere took place on 28 August 1850 at the Grand Ducal Court Theatre in Weimar, conducted by Franz Liszt, with Karl Beck singing the title role.[4] Wagner had written the work between 1845 and 1848; he heard of the evening in exile.
Sources
- Richard Wagner — Wikipedia (de), retrieved 30 August 2026
- Geschichte des Deutschen Nationaltheaters — Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar, retrieved 29 August 2026
- Die Staatskapelle Weimar — das Orchester — Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar, retrieved 29 August 2026
- Lohengrin — Wikipedia (de), retrieved 30 August 2026
Historical figures
Historical figures
1813–1883 • composer • conductor
The evening itself: his opera, Liszt's baton, and the composer in exile.
1811–1886 • composer • pianist • conductor
He conducted the premiere; it is the evening his Weimar decade is remembered for.
Historic sites
Historic sites
Theaterplatz 2, 99423 Weimar
The premiere took place in this house, then the Hoftheater; the present building did not exist until 1908.