About the work
A musical-dramatic parody in four scenes by Johann Nestroy of Richard Wagner’s opera of the same name, with music by Carl Binder; it premiered on 31 March 1859 at the Carltheater, with Nestroy in the title role. It was his second Wagner parody after his "Tannhäuser" travesty.
Plot
The fair Elsa is accused of murdering her brother Pafnuzi and summons the unknown knight Lohengrin to her aid; he defeats her accuser Mordigall in single combat. After their wedding, Elsa must never ask his name — when Mordigall’s wife Gertrude tricks her into doing so, Lohengrin must reveal himself as a knight of the Grail and depart, and the swan pulling his boat turns out to be Pafnuzi, whom Gertrude had bewitched.
Cultural significance
Contemporary critics reacted coolly; the Wiener Theaterzeitung complained that the piece lacked genuine parody. With only 16 performances, Nestroy’s "Lohengrin" ranks among the less successful of his late works.