Elisabeth
1. (Wagner: Tannhäuser). Soprano. Niece of the Landgrave. She and Tannhäuser have been in love, but he has been enticed away by Venus and Elisabeth longs for his return. He comes back to take part in the annual song contest and the Landgrave, confident that Tannhäuser will win, offers Elisabeth's hand as the prize. To everyone's horror and disgust, Tannhäuser, influenced by his bacchanalian life with Venus, sings of the sensual aspects of love and the other knights threaten to kill him. Elisabeth throws herself in front of Tannhäuser, prepared to sacrifice herself for him. Tannhäuser is sent to Rome to seek absolution and Elisabeth waits for his return. Feeling there is no hope of his coming back, she dies shortly before he arrives. In answer to Wolfram's prayer, her soul gives Tannhäuser the absolution he craves and he falls across her coffin and dies. Aria: Dich, teure Halle, grüsse' ich wieder … (‘Dear Hall of Song, I greet you again’); Allmächt'ge Jungfrau, hör' mein Flehen! (‘Almighty Virgin, hear my pleading!’). Among notable singers of this role are Meta Seinemeyer, Maria Reining, Maria Müller, Trudi Epperle, Marianne Schech, Leonie Rysanek, Elisabeth Grümmer, Anja Silja, Birgit Nilsson, and Mechthild Gessendorf. Created (1845) by Johanna Wagner.
2. (Verdi: Don Carlos). See Valois, Elisabeth de.
3. (Henze: Elegy for Young Lovers). See Zimmer, Elisabeth.
4. (Maw: The Rising of the Moon). See Zastrow, Frau Elisabeth von.
5. For Elizabeth I of England, see Elisabetta
