Wagner - Tristan Und Isolde - Barenboim

Waltraud Meier, Ian Storey, Michelle DeYoung, Gerd Grochowski, Matti Salminen / Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Daniel Barenboim

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde

Wholenote Discoveries - April 2011
On December 7, 2007 an event that reverberated throughout Milan took place at La Scala with the greatest artists gathered to breathe new life into Wagner’s immortal masterpiece. The main reason for the celebration was the re-emergence of director Patrice Chereau who as a young firebrand created the centennial Ring in Bayreuth in 1976, a revolutionary concept that started a chain of new productions all over the world. Now 30 years later and no longer young he was persuaded to do a much more difficult task, Tristan. There is nothing revolutionary here, however. His production is almost traditional. The sets are unobtrusive, neutral in colour, quasi abstract and echo timeless reality, the stage movements are relaxed, exquisitely handled almost like a ballet. The action erupts only when the music calls for it, like the finale of the first act or the fighting in the third. In this framework Chereau allows his singers to act naturally and so optimize their talents. Waltraud Meier (Isolde) is a wonderful singer-actress who has sung the role many times and simply lives in it. She is the crown of the production. Her interpretation is so convincing, so spontaneous that it’s near perfection in itself. Ian Storey as Tristan, a relative new-comer, is steady and a ‘tidal wave of power and passion’ - especially in the third act where he abandons himself totally as the suffering hero. The other three principals, Michelle deYoung (Brangaene), Greg Grochowsky (Kurwenal) and Matti Salminen are theatrically and musically all on the same level as the protagonists. The musical triumph however belongs to Daniel Barenboim who proudly steps into the formidable tradition established by Böhm, Furtwangler, Kleiber and Karajan. He forms his own style with well thought out tempi and details, making the Scala Orchestra sound glorious and exciting. This is production that will go down in history. Janos Gardonyi
Live from Il Teatro alla Scala di Milano – December 2007 “Daniel Barenboim made a triumphant debut as principal guest conductor at La Scala's gala opening-night premiere of a new staging of Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde," receiving 20 minutes of applause, a shower of roses and shouts of "bravi." Associated Press “The gaudiest event of the opera season in Europe, La Scala’s opener on Dec. 7 was a sublime new version of Tristan und Isolde directed by Patrice Chéreau under the baton of the house’s new principal guest conductor, Daniel Barenboim. ….. Mr. Barenboim, who knows this opera as well as anyone, drew rich, densely textured, multilayered sounds from his players.’’ - New York Times With Tristan und Isolde La Scala opened its 07/08 new in a new production staged by Patrice Chéreau. In this collaboration Daniel Barenboim and Patrice Chéreau (of whom Daniel Barenboim said: "In Chereau, I found my ideal partner“) fulfil a Wagnerian dream they had been cherishing since 1980. The opera hadn’t been staged at La Scala for over 30 years and was a triumph with over 20 minutes of applause. This is Patrice Chéreau’s 2nd DVD on VC after Aix-en-Provence’s Così. The public and critics were unanimous in praising the performances, the production, Daniel Barenboim’s conducting as well as the cast, which boasts Waltraud Meier as Isolde and saw as Tristan, British tenor Ian Storey in his Scala debut. The audience was equally thrilled by Finnish bass Matti Salminem’s performance as König Marke, and by Michelle DeYoung, the gifted American mezzo as Brangäne.

Price: $59.98