LOHENGRIN, 16'en-gren, a romantic opera in three acts, both music and words by Richard Wagner; first performed at Weimar, Germany, on 28 Aug. 1850; first production in America, 3 April 1871, at the Stadt Theatre, New York; in London, 1875. In this, perhaps the most popular of all his operas, Wagner draws his material from the old 13th century legend of the Holy Grail. The scene is laid near Antwerp, early in the 10th century. The German suze rain, King Henry (the Fowler) has arrived to levy troops, and finds a general commotion. Count Frederick of Telramund accuses the fair Elsa of Brabant of having killed her young brother, Godfrey, heir to the late Duke of Brabant, who had left the two children in Telramund's charge. The latter has married Ortrud of Friesland and lays claim to the duchy of Brabant. Elsa is innocent of the crime imputed to her and declares that her brother was taken away. The king resolves to decide the case by a tourney or ordeal by combat, in which Telramund must fight any champion who may take tip the gauntlet on behalf of Elsa. The latter has no champion; in strong faith she tells of a heavenly knight she had dreamed of who would come to her. aid, and publicly declares she will bestow her hand and crown upon her defender. In answer to her prayer a boat drawn by a swan appears on the water, bearing a gallant knight in silver armor. He agrees to fight for her on two
conditions—that she shall marry him, and never ask his name, to both of which Elsa pledges herself. Telramund is quickly thrown in the contest, but the knight spares his life. Telramund and his wife are both outlawed; it is she in fact who has stolen the boy and then told her husband that she had witnessed his murder by Elsa. Seeking revenge, Ortrud appeals to Elsa's sympathy and fills the girl's mind with suspicions about her lover. The knight and Elsa are married, in which scene occurs the famous wedding march. In the third act the couple are alone when Elsa, prompted by the incitements of Ortrud, asks her husband the fatal question. Telramund bursts into the room, sword in hand, but is stricken down dead by the knight, who now leads his wife before the king and announces that she has broken her pledge; he must now divulge his name and leave her forever. He proclaims himself to be Lohengrin, the son of Percival, and a knight of the Holy Grail. The swan reappears with the boat; when Ortrud declares that she had changed young Godfrey into a swan by sorcery. Lohengrin utters a prayer — the swan changes again into the missing boy; Lohengrin glides away in the boat — drawn by a dove, and Elsa falls broken-hearted in her brother's arms.