Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
Tristan und Isolde (1865)
Klaus Florian Vogt (tenor) – Tristan
Camilla Nylund (soprano) – Isolde
Tanja Ariane Baumgartner (mezzo) – Brangäne
Georg Zeppenfeld (bass) – King Marke
Martin Ganter (baritone) – Kurwenal
Sächsische Staatsopernchores Dresden
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden /Christian Thielemann
rec. live, 2024 Semperoper Dresden, Germany
C Major 770708 DVD [2 discs: 234]
When I first looked at the cast of this DVD I was not inspired to any particular anticipation for what might be contained on the discs, yet this Tristan is decidedly more than the sum of its parts.
The production featured on these DVDs is over 15 years old and was originally presented as a co-production between the Semperoper Dresden and the Montpellier Festival. The original producer Marco Arturo Marelli has been reengaged to keep the staging tight and ensure an authentic filming of his own concept. This Tristan might be considered by some to be old fashioned, in that the stage direction is very clear and precisely thought out without any need to foist unnecessary concepts on what is a simple and clearly laid out dramatic structure. The sets are of the spare, timeless variety; only slightly suggestive of any specific locale. The costumes are loose and free-flowing which suggest a tribute to feudal-era Japan. On the small screen they look wonderful, with the only exception being the bizarre lacquered pony tails which the male characters are sporting. They might work well inside the opera house but look rather ridiculous when viewed close-up for several hours in succession. Marelli’s production has an epic quality to the blocking for the principals, which gives the singers plenty of room to add expressive emotion to their roles. All of this is highlighted nicely in the filming and leaves one with the impression that an important event is unfolding here.
Christian Thielemann leads the score with passion and directness. His tempi are swift but never feel rushed. His reading has a constant momentum which carries the viewer along. The urgent account of the Prelude is but one example of Thielemann’s animation of the score. He is helped by a far better recording than he was given by DG for the 2004 CD release of his Vienna Tristan (review). The clarity and nuance which one encounters here surpasses that previous version and makes this DVD valuable for its superb soundtrack alone and a first rate document of Thielemann’s beautifully sculpted Tristan overall. The Staatskapelle Dresden are among the finest orchestral ensembles in the world and their playing for Thielemann shows that they are still keeping their legendary status in good standing today. The strings sound incredibly silky, the woodwinds register with warm and refulgent tone, while the brass displays a depth and tonal sheen that takes ones breath away at times.
The most remarkable vocal performance is that of Nylund’s Isolde. One might not have thought she had the vocal heft to do justice to the Irish Princess, Leonie Rysanek stayed away from this role for that reason. However, in Nylund’s case this would be a wrong assumption to make. Nylund offers an enormously passionate, emotionally generous portrayal of Isolde. Her total identification with Isolde’s despair in Act One is beyond commendable. Her voice sometimes refuses to do what she asks of it but on the whole this is a fine assumption of a most difficult role. She is absolutely superb in the scene of Isolde’s Curse and Narrative, where the occasional beat enters into her tone. Overall she is in fine, firm command of her voice and she fills Wagner’s demands entirely satisfactorily. She concludes the opera with a transcendent account of the Liebestod.
Klaus Florian Vogt makes an appealing Tristan. His voice doesn’t have the heft or heroic sound that one expects from a heldentenor, thus he simply cannot summon the power required for sections of Tristan’s Third Act ravings. Still, he is always musical and his clear, compact voice is intelligently used throughout. He also never once makes an ugly sound. His acting is sincere and committed but not quite the equal of Nylund’s Isolde. Visually, they work well together, although on the small screen one can’t disguise the fact that they are not quite youthful enough to be entirely believable.
Tanja Ariane Baumgartner is a warmly sympathetic Brangäne, although her acting is a little on the placid side. This may have been a directorial choice in order to balance out the intensity of Isolde in this staging. Vocally she fills Wagner’s phrases convincingly even if her voice has a rather anonymous timbre.
Martin Ganter’s Kurwenal is all sympathetic bluster and his stage presence registers nicely, especially in the final Act. Vocally he is stronger in the upper regions of his baritone, which records quite well, often sounding like a tenor in timbre. However, in the lower register, his voice loses quality and volume; at least it did so on this occasion.
Last but certainly not least is Georg Zeppenfeld’s regal King Marke. This singer may not possess the most powerful sounding bass I’ve heard, but the solid, intrinsically beautiful tone which he pours into Marke’s lament is one of the most heartbreaking assumptions of the role I have encountered in quite some time. Based on this performance I find him worthy to stand comparison to the great Wagnerian basses of the past. The DVD features outstanding sound and excellent picture quality making this a Tristan that, while not perfect in every respect, is one of the most engaging DVD versions around.
Mike Parr
Other Cast
Sebastian Wartig (tenor) – Melot
Attilio Glaser (tenor) – A Shepherd / A Young Sailor
Lawson Anderson (bass-baritone) – A Helmsman
Production Details
Marco Arturo Marelli – Stage Director
Dagmar Niefind-Marelli – Costume Designer
Friedewalt Degen – Lighting Designer
Tiziano Mancini – Video Director
Andrée Kellinghaus – Chorus Master
Technical details
NTSC DVD
Picture format: 16:9 anamorphic
Sound format: LPCM 2.0 and DTS 5.1 Digital Surround
Region code: all regions
Subtitle Languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean
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