Folge 6: Walking Tannhauser's Immigrant Path
This guide explores the historical and emotional intersection of Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser and the immigrant history of New York City’s Bowery. It proposes a self-guided walking tour through Lower Manhattan, mapping the story's conflict between sensual desire and spiritual redemption onto specific urban landmarks. The route connects the site of the first American Wagner performance at the Stadttheater to modern spaces like Sara D. Roosevelt Park and St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral.
By linking operatic themes to the lives of German-American refugees, the text illustrates how high art took root in the city’s dense tenement districts. Ultimately, the walk serves as a meditation on belonging, using the late-winter atmosphere of February to mirror the protagonist's restless search for grace.
