Ortrud

Ortrud is a female character from Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin (1848).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In act I, Ortrud and her husband Friedrich von Telramund accuse Elsa von Brabant of murdering her brother Gottfried. Gottfried having disappeared, they claim the land of Brabant as Ortrud's. This claim fails when Lohengrin appears to vindicate Elsa's rights and to marry her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In act II, Ortrud is blamed by Telramund for having originated the plot against Elsa. Ortrud reveals to the audience the fact that she is a witch. Undaunted, Ortrud has already hatched another plan. She pleads with Elsa for forgiveness and tries to make her doubt the character of Lohengrin, who has made Elsa swear never to ask him to reval his identity.

Richard Wagner: Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig – February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or "music dramas"). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapunta...

Opera: Opera refers to an European art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music. Comparable art forms from other parts of the world are usually prefaced with an adjective indicating the region; examples include Chinese opera and Beijing opera....

Lohengrin: In some German Arthurian literature, Lohengrin is the son of Parzival (Percival). He arrives in a boat pulled by swans to rescue and marry a maiden, but must leave her when she asks his identity. His story is a version of the Knight of the Swan legend....