Richard Wagner’s second opera, “Das Liebesverbot,” is the centerpiece of this week’s Sunday Opera (2/4 3:00 p.m.). Premiering in 1836, “Das Liebesverbot” or “The Ban on Love,” is based on Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” with a libretto by Wagner and has been called “Wagner’s lost comedy” since its premier was a disaster with the leading man forgetting his part and improvising through the performance. This performance, recorded in 1983, features Hermann Prey, Wolfgang Fassler, and Sabine Haas.
They are joined by the Bavarian State Opera Chorus and Orchestra under the direction of Wolfgang Sawallisch. More Shakespeare is to follow with a piece that has been titled “A Restoration Tempest” entitled "The Enchanted Island" which was the most popular “opera” of its time and features music by Henry Purcell, Matthew Locke, Pelham Humfrey, Giovanni Battista Draghi, and others. This performance features the Musicians of the Globe (London’s International Globe Theatre) under the direction of Philip Pickett.
