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SEEN AND HEARD
INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW
Wagner, Tristan und Isolde:
Soloists,
Orchester and
Zusatzchor der Oper Zürich, Conductor Ingo Metzmacher Opernhaus Zürich 14.
1.2009 (JMI)
New Production
Director: Claus Guth
Sets and Costumes: Christian Schmidt
Lighting: Jürgen Hoffmann
Cast:
Isolde: Nina Stemne
Tristan: Ian Storey
Brangaene: Michelle Breedt
König Marke: Matti Salminen
Kurwenal: Martin Gantner
Melot: Volker Vogel
Shepherd: Martin Zysset
Seaman’s Voice: Javier Camarena
After the beautiful production of Simon Boccanegra, came this modern
production, in which the director offers his personal vision of the drama and
where one does not know whether to think deeply about what one sees or to
concentrate on the beautiful music and its interpreters and forget about the
rest. I confess that I opted for the latter. I came to Zurich for Wagner’s
Tristan and not for Claus Guth’s Tristan – which perhaps means that
I’m not yet ready for modern life.
Claus Guth does not actually bring us Tristan und Isolde at all, but his
personal vision of what inspired Wagner to compose his masterwork - the
love affair between Wagner and Mathilde Wesendonk, which actually took place in
Zürich. Isolde for Guth becomes Mathilde, Tristan is Wagner, Brangaene is
Isolde's twin sister and King Marke is Otto Wesendonck himself, Wagner’s friend.
So far, so good.
But when a stage director decides to offer a personal vision of a work, it helps
if he is extremely careful with the text, or else the plot makes less have
sense. In this case, Mr Guth was not careful. There is neither sea nor journey
and everything takes place instead in a building that could be the Wessendonk’s
mansion in Zurich: we see the bedroom, the wedding reception and ultimately
the same mansion in the ruins that Kurwenal and Wagner called ‘Kareol’.
There is undoubtedly wonderful stage work in the direction of both crowds
and principals, but I did not recognize much of the story of Tristan and Isolde.
The relationship between them in this production is always too cold and based on
good manners, which might well make sense in terms of Wagner's own love affair,
but does little for the Irish princess. A love duet sung by people
seated at both ends of a large dining table, the arrival of Isolde at the
side of a dying Tristan, whom she does not even approach, the fact that the
lovers meet each other at a wedding party and start singing while separated and
surrounded by guests, does not seem to me to be the best way to make us
understand the couple's sublime love and passion. Only the Liebestod
itself, with Isolde embracing Tristan’s corpse, gives an idea of the
sublimation of that.
The sets are very original with a revolving stage, on which the different
scenes are shown. Costumes are used to emphasise the period and are mostly black
and white.
Whilst this is in many ways a very attractive production, it would definitely be
better suited to an opera called “Richard and Mathilde” than “Tristan
and Isolde”, no matter how much the love of the former couple might have had
inspired the composition of the latter.
Ingo Metzmacher's musical direction was very good and, at some points,
both moving and outstanding. His way of playing the music of the love duet of
Act II, keeping the sound of the orchestra as if it were chamber music, was
absolutely breathtaking. I would say the same about the Liebestod as this
received a very personal reading of the highest quality. I believe in fact
that I have never listened to a more subtle interpretation of these sublime
pages The Orchester der Oper Zurich gave a wonderful performance under
Metzmacher’s direction.
After this peformance however, I'd be inclined to believe that the
title of the opera should be simply Isolde. Who, having heard this
performance, will remember anything other than the miraculous Nina Stemme?
The Swedish soprano is not only the best Isolde of today, but also one of the
best of all time. She has everything: a voice of impressive power; great
intensity of expression; and she controls the tessitura as if the score had
been specially written for her. In addition to all this, she is an exceptional
actress. She alone was worth the trip. Her Liebestod was a true miracle
and on the strenght of it, her Salome at Barcelona's Liceu next
spring will be something not to be missed. Nina Stemme for ever!
The British tenor Ian Storey was a good Tristan. His singing is a kind of middle
way between the power of Jon Fredric West and the lyricism of Robert Dean
Smith. He certainly has enough voice for the role and he is able to cope with
all the difficulties of the score. The voice is not particularly beautiful, but
he is clearly a Tristan with enough power and vocal ability to sing the
part very well indeed.
Michelle Breedt’s Brangaene was vocally accurate and worked well in this
theatre, although I suspect that in a larger house she might have more
difficulty. Matti Salminen was yet again an outstanding King Mark, at his
considerable best in the long monologue in Act II. He sang with both powerful
voice and matching nobility. There were some slight signs of fatigue in the
upper register, but he is a truly great interpreter of this role.
Martin Gantner's Kurwenal was also significant. He is not very well known on the
international circuits yet, but he is a very good choice for thischaracter.
Volker Vogel made a good Melot and Martin Zysset a well suited Shepherd.
In the first act, Mexican tenor Javier Camarena was the Seaman’s voice - a
sheer luxury in this small part.
The
theatre was full.
There was an enthusiastic reception for Nina Stemne and great ovations also for
both Salminen and Metzmacher.
José M Irurzun
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