Leonard Bernstein Conducts Wagner
Excerpts from Tristan und Isolde; Die Walküre; Götterdämmerung
New York Philharmonic/Leonard Bernstein
rec. live, 1968-1970, New York. ADD stereo
Gala 100.613 [3 CDs: 199]
This is a compilation from live concerts given over three years conducted by Leonard Bernstein and starring Eileen Farrel partnered by two great American Heldentenors. It is clear from the audio perspective and the occasional nearby cough that these are unofficial tapes made by an audience member, not radio broadcasts – in which case the sound is surprisingly satisfactory for what was essentially a “pirate” recording. Venues beyond “New York” for the Tristan and Walküre concerts are not given but were probably the same as for Götterdämmerung – the Avery Fisher Hall. As ever, audience coughing can be intrusive but is not as bad as some; the worst is in the bonus track which has also just been issued by Pristine as part of the 2 CD set of de Sabata’s concerts in Carnegie Hall in 1951, also featuring the young Farrell in Wagner (see my review).
We would be very fortunate to encounter Wagner singing of this calibre today. Jess Thomas was always an under-rated singer and makes a very credible Tristan; he is especially moving in his third act narrative; “Ach, Isolde, Isolde! Wie schön bist du!” is searingly delivered and Farrell is phenomenal throughout; her voice is a column of pure, unforced tone. Joanna Simon makes a fine Brangäne. Farrell is joined by James King in best voice for the whole of Act I of Die Walküre and the great British bass Michael Langdon, treacly of voice and menacing in the extreme; it’s quite a line-up. Bernstein is leisurely in his accompaniments but nowhere near as turgid as in his complete recording of Tristan, which I have always regarded as something of an anomaly in his output. He did not in fact otherwise conduct or record that much Wagner, making this anthology all the more desirable. He is certainly more animated in the dramatic passages than in that recording of Tristan and is blessed with better singers who know exactly what to do with this music. Nonetheless, he still occasionally stretches out the tempi daringly, as in the key moment when Siegmund tells Sieglinde, “Nun weißt du, fragende Frau, warum ich Friedmund nicht heiße!” (Now you know, questioning woman, why I am not called Bringer of Peace). I don’t think I have ever heard a performance from King which combines such subtlety with such open-throated power; he sounds youthful, virile and utterly steady – except in his cries of “Wälse!” which Bernstein cruelly prolongs, prompting some understandable wavering. However, he conducts the love music in both Tristan and Die Walküre so tenderly – which makes the intermittent coughing all the more regrettable. He really allows the music to breathe with his singers.
The orchestra, too, seems galvanised by Bernstein’s energy; following a radiant love duet, the showpiece “Siegfried’s Rhine Journey” is bursting with vitality. Thomas seems to get better and better as the concert progresses; he finds plenty of baritonal heft for the abduction scene. It’s a pity there is no Hagen to do Siegfried in – it would have been good to have imported Michael Langdon again to sing that role – but his death scene is suffused with pathos and vocally very secure.
I commented in the above review on the 1952 bonus performance of the finale of Götterdämmerung and reproduce those comments here: “The young Eileen Farrell was already an established star at 31 years old and made a speciality of singing the excerpts here; she is terrific: warm, secure and powerful with a lovely line. Interestingly, Farrell made studio recordings of Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene and the Wesendonck-Lieder with Bernstein a decade later at the Manhattan Center but she never sang the entire role. Her “starke Scheite” is a touch marmoreal but those pinging, trilling top notes are a dream, the lower register sturdy and her use of text acute. It is surely one of the most sheerly beautiful hochdramatische soprano voices ever to sing this music and only adds to my regret that she never sang the Isolde complete. De Sabata gives her all the time in the world without dragging; “Ruhe, ruhe, du Gott!” is magically intoned, the climax is thrilling and the orchestral playing superb.”
This box set has been discontinued but copies are still available on eBay and other second-hand outlets. It is currently featured on Amazon but listed as “unavailable”. The cover photo depicts him much later on in life; he was still only in his early fifties at the time of these concerts.
Devotees of Bernstein, Farrell, the two tenors and of course Wagner which find much to delight here – if you can track down a copy.
Ralph Moore
Contents
Tristan und Isolde
Act II: Prelude and Love Duet
Act III: Tristan’s death and Isolde’s Liebestod
Tristan: Jess Thomas (tenor), Isolde: Eileen Farrell (soprano), Brangäne: Johanna Simon (mezzo-soprano).
(26 February 1969, New York)
Die Walküre
Act I — complete
Siegmund: James King (tenor), Sieglinde: Eileen Farrell (soprano), Hunding: Michael Langdon (bass).
(23 May 1968, New York)
Götterdämmerung
Prelude: Zu neuen Taten; Siegfried’s Rhine Journey
Act I: Scene 3
Act III: Scene 2
Siegfried: Jess Thomas (tenor), Brünnhilde: Eileen Farrell (soprano)
(26 January 1970, Avery Fisher Hall, New York City)
Bonus:
Finale: Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort
Brünnhilde: Eileen Farrell (soprano)
Victor de Sabata (conductor)
(25 March 1951, Carnegie Hall, New York City)
Availability This recording is not currently available new, though it may be available from second-hand outlets or on the various streaming services.
