Wagnerian urban legend

[Bert Coules]

Two days ago, someone told me the Lohengrin "What time is the next swan?"
story as absolute fact: a friend of his was there when it happened...

[deb]

Post by Bert Coules
Two days ago, someone told me the Lohengrin "What time is the next swan?"
story as absolute fact: a friend of his was there when it happened...

Yes, I believe it is absolutely true, and was the /bon mot/ of the great tenor Leo Slezak. It's even funnier in German, as train and tram timetables tell travellers 'wann faehrt die naechste Bahn' and the rhyme with 'Schwann' makes it a pun as well as a witticism.

[Bert Coules]

Deb, thanks for that. The problem I have with the story is this: I can
imagine a witty tenor coming out with the line full-pelt at a rehearsal, and
I can picture him whispering it to a nearby chorus member in performance.
But the standard version of the tale has Lohengrin *turning to the audience*
and asking his question - and that I find very hard indeed to swallow.

[Herman van der Woude]

Post by Bert Coules
Deb, thanks for that. The problem I have with the story is this: I can
imagine a witty tenor coming out with the line full-pelt at a rehearsal, and
I can picture him whispering it to a nearby chorus member in performance. But
the standard version of the tale has Lohengrin *turning to the audience* and
asking his question - and that I find very hard indeed to swallow.

I think Deb is right. I heard that story too, years and years ago. I
believe it to be typical singers inside story, where the swan not only
stands for Lohengrin, but you can actually understand as: when will be
the next staging of Lohengrin, and where? And it sounds witty in
German.

Similar to that is the story of a famous Dutch female singer, Aafje
Heynis, particularly famous for singing in Bach's Matthew Passion, who
almost almost always after the performance said, "Well, he hangs
again!" Sounds cynical, but it is an inside joke.

[Roger3282]

Post by Herman van der Woude
I think Deb is right. I heard that story too, years and years ago. I
believe it to be typical singers inside story, where the swan not only
stands for Lohengrin, but you can actually understand as: when will be
the next staging of Lohengrin, and where? And it sounds witty in
German.
--
Met vriendelijke groet,
Cheers,
Herman van der Woude

The story is as true as any other. The tenor was Leo Slezak, 1873-1946, an Austrian. If you can find a copy of his autobiography, published in 1938 in English as "Song of Motley: Being the Reminiscences of a Hungry Tenor", you can probably read his version of events. His son was the actor Walter Slezak, 1902-1983, and Walter's autobiography is titled "What time's the next Swan?" It seems odd to title your autobiography after an incident in your father's life, but there you are.

Enjoy your pandemic Christmas,
Roger Cruickshank

[REP]

Post by Roger3282

Post by Herman van der Woude
I think Deb is right. I heard that story too, years and years ago. I
believe it to be typical singers inside story, where the swan not only
stands for Lohengrin, but you can actually understand as: when will be
the next staging of Lohengrin, and where? And it sounds witty in
German.
--
Met vriendelijke groet,
Cheers,
Herman van der Woude

The story is as true as any other. The tenor was Leo Slezak, 1873-1946, an Austrian. If you can find a copy of his autobiography, published in 1938 in English as "Song of Motley: Being the Reminiscences of a Hungry Tenor", you can probably read his version of events. His son was the actor Walter Slezak, 1902-1983, and Walter's autobiography is titled "What time's the next Swan?" It seems odd to title your autobiography after an incident in your father's life, but there you are.
Enjoy your pandemic Christmas,
Roger Cruickshank

Not what I would call an urban legend then. Though I doubt anyone alive today was around to see it. Slezak's autobiography was published in 1938, and the incident likely happened years earlier.

REP