Dr. Takt über „Lohengrin“ / Akt III, 7. Takt nach Ziffer 23 - Deutsche Oper Berlin
Dr Takt on Lohengrin / Act III, 7th bar after 23
Dr Takt knows the special parts of many a score - and explains their fascination to us
After their wedding, Elsa and Lohengrin find themselves in the nuptial chamber. Lohengrin sings, “Can you not smell these sweet fragrances?” in a beautiful yet unpretentious C-major melody, but the harmonisation adds to this a certain ambivalence. It begins with a dominant seventh chord via G major. Instead of letting this transition into C major, Wagner inserts an effusive chord representing a longing for romance. It consists of three overlapping major thirds that can be grouped into various keys, and stands out for its inner tension. Wagner uses it here to give his music an urgent, ambiguous, unstable tone: Lohengrin wants his first night married to Elsa to commence, yet Elsa is on the verge of asking him the forbidden question as to his name and his origin.
