Richard Wagner -
Tristan and Isolde,
Complete Opera, WWV 90.
Staatskapelle Dresden,
Carlos Ludwig Kleiber.
Deutsche Grammophon,
1982.
Act I.
Prelude http://youtu.be/l25J7xdhhKc
Act III. Liebestod http://youtu.be/YjMwDbFng_g
Complete
Opera http://youtu.be/SF4zN-Okonc
"
ACT ONE
Prelude
At sea, on the deck
of Tristan's ship during the crossing from
Ireland to
Cornwall."
Friedrich Nietzsche, who in his younger years was one of
Wagner's staunchest allies, wrote that, for him, "Tristan and Isolde is the real opus metaphysicum of all art
. . . insatiable and sweet craving for the secrets of night and death. . . it is overpowering in its simple grandeur". In a letter to his friend
Erwin Rohde in October 1868,
Nietzsche described his reaction to
Tristan's Prelude: "I simply cannot bring myself to remain critically aloof from this music; every nerve in me is atwitch, and it has been a long time since I had such a lasting sense of ecstasy as with this overture". Even after his break with
Wagner, Nietzsche continued to consider Tristan a masterpiece: "Even now
I am still in search of a work which exercises such a dangerous fascination, such a spine-tingling and blissful
infinity as Tristan — I have sought in vain, in every art."
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a
German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by
Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between
1857 and 1859 and premiered in
Munich on 10 June 1865 with
Hans von Bülow conducting. Wagner referred to the work not as an opera, but called it "eine Handlung" (literally a drama. a plot or an action), which was the equivalent of the term used by the
Spanish playwright
Calderón for his dramas.
Wagner's composition of Tristan und Isolde was inspired by his affair with
Mathilde Wesendonck and the philosophy of
Arthur Schopenhauer. Widely acknowledged as one of the peaks of the operatic repertory, Tristan was notable for Wagner's advanced use of chromaticism, tonality, orchestral colour and harmonic suspension.
The opera was profoundly influential among
Western classical composers and provided inspiration to composers such as
Gustav Mahler,
Richard Strauss,
Karol Szymanowski,
Alban Berg and
Arnold Schoenberg. Many see Tristan as the beginning of the move away from conventional harmony and tonality and consider that it lays the groundwork for the direction of classical music in the
20th century.
It was only after
Ludwig II of Bavaria became a sponsor of Wagner (he granted the composer a generous stipend and in other ways supported Wagner's artistic endeavours) that enough resources could be found to mount the premiere of Tristan und Isolde. Hans von Bülow was chosen to conduct the production at the
Munich Opera, despite the fact that Wagner was having an affair with his wife,
Cosima von Bülow.
A lot of ink has been spilled about child prodigies like
Mozart, but little attention has been paid to the phenomenon of the late bloomer. Clearly Wagner belongs to the latter group: had he died at 50, with the premiers of Tristan, Meistersinger, the
Ring, and
Parsifal before him, he would be considered only a musical middleweight. Tristan marks his first fully mature work and establishes Wagner as a composer of the first rank. This digital recording from the early
1980s features a good, experienced cast.
Rene Kollo is nearing the end of his effective career, but turns in a workmanlike performance, while
Margaret Price sounds fresh and young. During his career,
Maestro Carlos Kleiber has not competed with
Herbert von Karajan or
Georg Solti in the number of his recordings, but the quality of his output has always been among the best, and here he offers an exceptionally delicate orchestral reading.
Tristan:
René Kollo, Isolde: Margaret Price,
Brangäne:
Brigitte Fassbaender, König
Marke:
Kurt Moll, Kurwenal:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Melot:
Werner Götz,
Seemann Eberhard Büchner, Hirte:
Anton Dermota, Steuermann:
Wolfgang Hellmich,
Dresden Staatskapelle,
Leipzig Radio Chorus
Dame Margaret Price was persuaded to sing Isolde for a recording under German conductor Carlos Kleiber. The result, made up from several takes, is one of the most outstanding recorded Isoldes. Efforts to tempt
Price to do Isolde on the stage, however, never came to anything. "I'm not a long-distance runner," she insisted. "
I'll sing it to my dogs."
The Guardian
- published: 15 Dec 2013
- views: 82234