Tristan - ENO

[Dave2002]

I understand that the rock structure due to Kapoor has come in for criticism at ENO's Tristan. Actually it's quite impressive, and I really do wonder how they get it turn black - and also white. Overall I suspect the production is good, and Isolde - Heidi Melton - is excellent. In fact both she and Brangäne have excellent diction, and the words come over rather clearly. Matthew Rose was impressive as King Marke.

This was my first experience of seeing Tristan and listening to it right the way through. I think it will be my last. Apart from the Flying Dutchman, which I like, and possibly Rienzi, which I don't know, but curiosity might drive me to see it if it is ever performed, I have no particular wish to see or hear any Wagner again.

Sorry to all those Wagner fans. There were many in the audience who seemed to be very impressed last night, but I rather felt it went on too long, and for me both the music and the plot outstayed their welcome. In fact afterwards I did think that the music in the Ring is significantly better, and maybe very good performances of that might just entice me back. Otherwise I shall resist any invitations to Wagner events from now on.

The reviewer here didn't like it much - http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/06/t...olde-reviewed/ though I feel the work itself has to bear a lot of the responsibility for its overall efffect.

[Conchis]

It's a difficult work to produce. The second and third acts in particular are so static that you really need outstanding acting from the singers.

The best production I've ever seen (and I'm ever likely to see) was WNO's 1993 version, which I think is still in their repertoire. Very simple and very effective.

Edited to add: I've just read Michael Tanner's review. This sounds like a (typically) horrendous ENO production. Seriously, if you haven't seen T&I before, please don't let this production influence your thinking about the work - although I know that's a tough call! :)

[Dave2002]

Edited to add: I've just read Michael Tanner's review. This sounds like a (typically) horrendous ENO production. Seriously, if you haven't seen T&I before, please don't let this production influence your thinking about the work - although I know that's a tough call! :)

Thanks fot the ecouragement. Some ENO productions are really weird, though generally competently done nowadays, but conceptually they can be strange - such as the Fidelio which had the cast clambering up and down scaffolding - some sort of gym exercises! The worst thing though, which was not very apparent in the radio broadcast was near the end when Don Fernando shot Florestan. Musically it was fine enough, but the "you cannot escape message" was not what I think Beethoven wanted.

I quite enjoyed the Mastersingers last year, particullarly the later parts, though I did still find the first act "interminably" boring. There are times when I think Webern's approach to musical brevity has a lot to recommend it.

[Pianorak]

As Conchis says "very simple and very effective" is the only way to produce it successfully IMV. I saw the WNO production in Oxford many years ago now. Give it another go - the music is sublime! My favourites: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tristan-Iso...tan+und+isolde and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tristan-Iso...tan+und+isolde. Others may differ and have their own favourites.

[Richard Tarleton]

Those are my 2 CD versions also. The best production is in your head

I saw the marvellous WNO production in 1993 when it was new (with Anne Evans, cond. Mackerras) and a revival in 1999 (one or two production gremlins this time - torches going out prematurely in Act 2 ). I also saw the ROH's stinker of a production a few years ago, where the set was one chair on the left of the stage - carrying simplicity a bit too far.....

[Conchis]

Those are my 2 CD versions also. The best production is in your head

I saw the marvellous WNO production in 1993 when it was new (with Anne Evans, cond. Mackerras) and a revival in 1999 (one or two production gremlins this time - torches going out prematurely in Act 2 ). I also saw the ROH's stinker of a production a few years ago, where the set was one chair on the left of the stage - carrying simplicity a bit too far.....

I stand to be corrected but I don't think the ROH has ever had a good Tristan in its repertoire - possibly not since 1945.

Heribert Wernicke's 2001 production (in which T& I only 'meet' at the end) was a high concept horror, which never fielded a satisfactory cast (on its second outing, it had a woefully inadequate Tristan who literally couldn't sing the role). I haven't seen the 'current' production but it seems to have few friends.

Apparently, not many people liked Peter Hall's early seventies production, either.

[Conchis]

As Conchis says "very simple and very effective" is the only way to produce it successfully IMV. I saw the WNO production in Oxford many years ago now. Give it another go - the music is sublime! My favourites: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tristan-Iso...tan+und+isolde and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tristan-Iso...tan+und+isolde. Others may differ and have their own favourites.

I'd definitely give Kleiber a go as well. And maybe also the 1972 Karajan studio recording with Vickers/Dernesch. Not everyone likes von K's interpretation but Vickers must be heard in this opera.

[Pianorak]

Vickers/Dernesch definitely - not so keen on the Kleiber. I thought Margaret Price wasn't quite right in that role.

[Richard Tarleton]

It's a difficult work to produce. The second and third acts in particular are so static that you really need outstanding acting from the singers.

Or rather, outstanding singing

"Everything in the opera now subserves the music. The drama no longer consists primarily of what is being visually represernted on stage: primarily, it consists in what is being visually represented in the score. It is a drama not of visible action but of invisible inner states, a drama of what is going on inside people..." - Bryan Magee, 'Wagner and Philosophy'.

There is very little action in any of the three acts until an explosion of activity at the very end of each one. Directors who introduce extraneous action, like the current ROH production which has Brangane copping off with Kurwenal, are missing the point.

[slarty]

I stand to be corrected but I don't think the ROH has ever had a good Tristan in its repertoire - possibly not since 1945.

Apparently, not many people liked Peter Hall's early seventies production, either.

Rather a sweeping statement but Tristan in London has done quite well since 1945.
The first CG production was in 1948 with Flagstad and Seider, and was revived in 1950 and 1951 with Flagstad and Svanholm conducted by Rankl and in '51 by Clemens Krauss.
Revivals in '52 were conducted by Erich Kleiber with Helena Braun and Svanholm. The 1953 revival was conducted by Barbirolli with Sylvia Fisher and Ludwig Suthaus.
The 1954 revival was conducted by Rudolf Kempe with Fisher and Windgassen.
The new 1958 production was conducted by Kubelik and sung by Fisher and Ramon Vinay. this was revived in 1962 with Nilsson, Windgassen and conducted by Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt.
the new 1971 production by Peter Hall was tainted because of his decision to resign from CG suddenly, soon after taking up the post as co-director with Colin Davis and the reviews were very much loaded against the director.
The performances however were very good indeed with Dvorakova and Jess Thomas conducted ably by Solti as his farewell to the house as MD. Nilsson came for the sixth performance of this run and it was outstanding, I saw the 2nd and the Nilsson performances.
This was revived in 1973 with Colin Davis conducting Berit Lindholm and Helge Brilioth.
Also in 1973 London was lucky to have a guest performance by Scottish Opera at the Rosebery Avenue (old Sadler's Wells) theatre, beautifully conducted by Gibson with Helga Dernesch and Hermin Esser.
Back to CG, and the 1978 revival, given a new lease of life with a great re-stageing by Moshinsky with Jon Vickers and roberta Knie conducted by Davis(the final performance of the run was taken over by Spas Wenkoff as Vickers had cancelled)
The 1980 and 1982 revivals just got better and better with Vickers, first with Lindolm, and then with Gwyneth Jones. These performances reached a level that I have never experienced again in the theatre - just outstanding.
So to say that CG never had a good Tristan in it's repertoire since the War, is definitely not correct. Such an array of great conductors and singers is difficult to imagine being bettered.
Over the same period, I doubt than any of the great opera houses has done much better.

To finish this period in London's Tristan history, i would mention that during the 1978 to 1982 CG period of riches, we also had the truly great 1979 new production from WNO with Linda Ester Gray and John Mitchinson (sung in german) and incandescently conducted by Reginald Goodall, The WNO brought this production to London in December 1979 and performed it at the Dominion theatre, Tottenham Court Road. Thankfully the BBC broadcast it as tickets were so difficult to get.
Not to be outdone, the ENO brought their new production of Tristan to St. Martin's Lane in 1981, sung again (this time in English) by Ester Gray and the late, great Alberto Remedios, again conducted by Goodall. This production was not successful and was withdrawn to be quickly replaced in 1985 by Götz Friedrich's new production with Remedios again, and Johanna Meier. Goodall conducted as only he could.

I left London, shortly after this time so am unable to bring this post any further towards the present day.
I attended most of the performances mentioned between 1971 and 1985 and am fortunate to have found broadcasts and private recordings of many of them, so I would say that the period of time from 1948 to 1985 was a very rich one for Londoners and Wagner, especially for the Ring, but Tristan certainly did not do too badly either.