Wagner's operas

Hi all, with the bicentennial of Wagner's birth in 2013, thought it'd be fun to share with you some personal reviews and notes of his operas, which I've gathered over the years. Although I listened to and own many recordings, this is not a complete survey. One opera at a time - and we start with a lengthy one:

Part 1: Tristan und Isolde

Tristan, Wagner's most ambitious and influential opera, is the essence of Schopenhauer set to drama and music. Wagner had become familiar with the work of Schopenhaur and his idea of the world driven by unachievable desires in the mid 1850s, and subsequently started work on an opera devoted entirely to this idea. While working on it, he became involved with Mathilde von Wesendonck, the wife of his then-sponsor (when Wagner's wife found out, this led to one his several exiles). He set five of Mathilde's poems to music, the Wesendonck Lieder, two of which were studies for Tristan and include themes that made it into the Act II love duet and the Act III prelude of the opera. The lead parts of the opera, Tristan (tenor) and Isolde (soprano) are generally regarded to be among the heaviest operatic roles ever written, and have been difficult to cast since the premiere in 1865. 

The most famous recording is the 1952 FurtwÄngler - an ambitious and conscious undertaking by Walter Legge to preserve a famous partnership, Ludwig Suthaus, Kirsten Flagstad and Wilhelm Furtwangler. Furt and Legge didn't like one another but set their differences aside. Famously, Legge's wife, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, dubbed in Isolde's high Cs. It's an unmissable recording, but I have to say despite the very capable voices, they do sound a bit long in the tooth. 

In 1966, Philips recorded the Tristan live, but one act at a time, under BÖhm, with Birgit Nilsson and Wolfgang Windgassen. BÖhm is fast in an opera that is supposed to be slow, the singers do a great job although Windgassen sounds overparted at times. It's many people's favorite but for me, it misses the essence.

There are a number of highly regarded live performances under Karajan, but his first and only studio recording for EMI happened in 1972, with Jon Vickers and Helga Dernesch. Sadly not one of Von K.'s most inspired performances, but his singers are hugely impressive and despite Vickers' dodgy German pronunciation, sound idiomatic. 

Early 1980s, Carlos Kleiber and Lenny Bernstein committed their readings to disc. Both are controversial. Kleiber was never happy in the studio and apparently became so distressed with René Kollo's Tristan, he ran out before the sessions were complete and never returned to the studio. DG managed to complete the recording from practice takes. The result is quite special, with a Mozartean touch and sensitive singers - but for this reason, very studio bound. 

Bernstein did it live, but like BÖhm, one act at a time to give the singers rest between acts. It's the slowest performance ever recorded - the original CD issue consisted of 5 discs. Hildegard Behrens and Peter Hofmann are committed and have nice voices, but a bit small for the parts. All in all, my personal favorite - it's SLOW but intense, and one of Bernstein's supreme achievements.

In 2004, DG released another live performance, under Thielemann. He is good, but his singers aren't memorable. Thomas Moser gives it his best shot, drowns in Act II but is surprisingly good in Act III. Deborah Voigt has a big voice but doesn't really impress at any time. 

EMI followed in 2005 with the - for now - most recent studio recording, under Tony Pappano, with Placido Domingo and Nina Stemme. Stemme sounds very good and gives a credible interpretation (she does miss some of the irony in the role, a small thing compared to what is there). Domingo is a big surprise, despite the fact that he was in his 60s at the time of the recording, he sounds very good and up to the task (helped by the engineers, but still). He doesn't sound authentically Wagner, and he is careful - but the performance is quite the achievement. Pappano conducts assuredly, fastish but not hurried. 

All in all, many of the recordings have merit and none is ideal. FurtwÄngler and Karajan are generally safe recommendations, as is Pappano if you like Domingo, but I love the Bernstein for its focus. Just the beautifully sustained overture, clocking in at almost 15 minutes, is a work of art.

Comments welcome!

Cheers,

EJ