Claudio Abbado, music director of the "Vienna State Opera" and recently appointed music director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducts Richard Wagner's three-act opera. An exquisitely lyrical piece, characterized by the composer's romantic vision of the individual's fight for freedom under an oppressive rule, "Lohengrin" has been described as Wagner's most Italianate opera. The title-role is therefore particularly suited to the dramatic and musical talents of Placido Domingo, whose recent adoption of Wagnerian roles has been received with justifiable praise. He leads an exceptional Wagnerian cast, including Robert Lloyd as King Henry and Dunja Vejzovic as Ortrud.