Showing posts with label tristan and isolde. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tristan and isolde. Show all posts

Wednesday, 29 June 2016

ENO: Tristan and Isolde ★★★★

Many opera lovers know that there is much luscious music to discover with Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. The climactic love-death song that is Liebestod (otherwise known as Isolde’s Verklärung), the glorious intensity of the score alongside the romantic verse written by the German composer himself are a few reasons, out of many, as to why it is considered a landmark opera which has influenced music history. Not forgetting the tragic story where two lovers down a love potion which leaves them stuck in a world they cannot exist together in.

 The English National Opera (ENO) last staged Wagner’s visceral opera twenty years ago, yet its newly appointed artistic director Daniel Kramer has introduced a new production with grand designs by award-winning contemporary artist Anish Kapoor – the man who designed the Orbital Tower at the heart of the Olympic Park and controversial sculptures for the French palace of Versailles. 

 The inspiration behind Wagner’s four-hour opera includes his admiration for Arthur Schopenhauer and his metaphysical ideas of the annihilation of the self, as well as his keen interest in medieval literature and another love; a love that is revealed through various letters he wrote to the wife of his benefactor, Mathilde Wesendonch.

 Although Wagner was already married, living in exile in Switzerland for his part in the Dresden Uprising of 1894, he felt compelled to write the ‘most full-blooded musical conception’. One could describe Wagner’s reasons for composing his monumental opera as a way of hammering out a message to Mathilde or releasing his own frustrations on such a sensitive situation. Regardless of his motivations, one thing that cannot be negated is the biopic nature the opera had on Wagner, where ‘words, stage setting, visible action, and music come together in closest harmony towards the central dramatic purpose.’

 The ENO’s previous musical director Edward Gardner returns to his former residence, and in this case for Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, which he performs with warmth and vitality from start to finish. The ENO Orchestra also presents Wagner’s Gesamtkunstwerk (total artwork) exquisitely - the prelude and lovely ‘Tristan chord’, which lingers throughout the opera are a wonder to hear. 
Following the nihilistic notions of Schopenhauer; the yearning for the dark, escape from the realities of the day in exchange for an existence beyond the physical, light plays a huge part of the production's staging and this is executed by Paul Anderson’s light designs, which assists Kapoor’s large scale artworks. However, some audience members may feel a bit left behind with what they see before them.

 A golden stage divided by three, a huge ball sliced in half with our lovers hiding in its inner cave, and a ripped out hole, which releases blood, are the artist’s ‘vision for a complete artistic experience’, yet these abstract works can appear ambiguous unless one is familiar with Kapoor’s work. Much praise goes to the visual lighting effects that take place on stage, but a visually stimulating stage isn’t necessary for a grand opera that is already a musical masterpiece in its own right.

 The production’s costumes, designed by Christina Cunningham, are filled with characteristics from a Star Wars movie, which also seem weak in relevance to the opera or Kapoor's complex staging despite their craft and sophistication.

 Nonetheless, justice can be found from outstanding performances including Stuart Skelton as Tristan. His robust and silvery voice makes his Tristan a triumphant performance which is no surprise for a tenor who received positive reviews for his role as Peter Grimes at the ENO. Karen Cargill, as Brangäne, and Craig Colclough, as Kurwenal, sing effectively and energetically while Matthew Rose deeply impresses and charms the audiences as elderly King Marke. 

 Making her debut at the ENO is Heidi Melton. Many members of the audience sob as she closes the opera with her version of Liebstod. Singing the role of Isolde is a tough challenge, bestowing a devoted and headstrong princess but Melton doesn't falter. She is solid in the beginning scenes, but performs best at its conclusion, rendering the auditorium speechless. It is a touching sight seeing Isolde sing romantic words, similar to a sonnet, as she holds Tristan's face - an image that will stay with me for a long time. 
Tristan and Isolde is playing at the London Coliseum until July 9. Click here to book tickets. 

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Sunday, 8 March 2015

#InternationalWomensDay 2016 : Opera Divas and Female Voices #IWD2016




Opera wouldn’t be influential if it wasn’t for the role of the ‘diva’ (Italian for ‘goddess’) or the ‘prima donna’. Its voices: the magnificent sopranos, tender contraltos, and mellifluous mezzo-sopranos, are huge driving forces that foster our love for opera.

Opera is the one of the few artistic genres that elevates the status of women. Since the time of Handel and Mozart, opera’s trouser-roles have also played an effective part. They were specifically made for women to cross-dress as men, manly fighters and despairing boy-like lovers.

To celebrate Women’s Day, I want to share my favourite women in opera from voice to characterisation. 
Nina Stemme as Isolde from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde



Wagner’s 1865 opera requires a strong, large and loud voice to explain the doomed nature of the love between the Cornish knight and the Irish princess. The drama begins from a love potion that causes them to fall in love but since it is an opera it is complicated (which we love!)  She is forced to marry Tristan’s uncle and it ends tragically with a wounded Tristan who promises to reunite with Isolde in heaven.

Wagner wrote long extended vocal phrases, and took out pauses, which require breathe control (big exhales) skills. He wrote the music in a variety of keys. For bold Wagnerian sopranos this means singing confidently at a high volume without being distracting by the orchestra’s music, which is often different from Isolde’s music.

Isolde is a mythical character with her own heart-wrenching music of love and Swedish Wagnerian soprano Nina Stemme has evoked Isolde’s character numerous times. She is known by many as the greatest Wagnerian soprano of our era. Telegraph critic, Rupert Christiansen, said Stemme is 'the greatest dramatic soprano of our day at the peak of her powers.'

I saw her perform the challenging role at the Royal Opera House last year (here’s my review) and saw her sing the saucy role of Salóme, which rocked the Royal Albert Hall at the BBC Proms. (Here’s my review for her performance.) 
Anna Netrebko as Violetta from Verdi’s La Traviata



The tragedy lies in the loose lifestyle of a demi-monde, Parisian party girl, and high-class courtesan who falls in love with a young nobleman. But she is denied life by a deadly disease: consumption. Verdi’s opera, based on the heroine of Dumas’ La Dame aux Camélias, is one of the greatest dramatic roles in all of opera. It has been the inspiration behind blockbuster movies including Pretty Women and Moulin Rouge.

It is said that the any soprano that sings the role of our ‘fallen woman’, Violetta, must possess the agility for speed and flexibility – that is, they must be a coloratura soprano. The vocal technique of its sopranos require the ability to reach high notes as well as the lighter more lyrical notes. The bel canto aria ‘Sempre libera’ is an example that incorporates the versatility of Violetta’s music. It moves in and out from melodious to excitement and sends the soprano’s voice to the stratosphere. It is Violetta’s gorgeous soaring music that makes us pity her and ultimately makes us cry at the same time.

Russian soprano, Anna Netrebko is one of my favourite opera singers. We see her sing as Violetta here at the 2005 Salzburg Festival. Her voice is incredibly strong and not only is she a great operatic singer, she is a great stage actress. I haven’t seen her sing the role live yet but shall see her as Mími in Puccini’s La Bohéme at the Royal Opera House this year.

I’ve written an extensive post about La Traviata here. I also reviewed the Royal Opera House’s live broadcast of the opera sung exceptionally by Ailyn Pérez, which you can read here. 
Jessye Norman  as Carmen from Bizet’s Carmen



Typically Carmen is sung by a mezzo-soprano, yet the seductive and fierce female characterisation of Carmen has called upon sopranos to sing the role as well. The Parisians detested the opera on its first night at the Opéra-Comique in 1875. One reason for this was Carmen's female characterisation, which was socially unacceptable at the time - a woman of free and liberal values. She is a Spanish gypsy (but the opera is sung entirely in French by the way,) who doesn’t want to commit or be held down by a man. She is the exception from opera’s usual long-suffering heroine, which we usually associate with opera. She enjoys the company of criminals and doesn’t think of the deeper implications of asking Don José to leave his job for her.

Women who sing as Carmen must have the energy, charm and enthusiasm to sing the playful and mischievous gypsy. Carmen’s drifter and mystic attributes are demonstrated in the singer’s vocal technique, which tends to encompass a thicker and heavier tone. Yet it has to match the same gravitas as singing higher notes. The arias that are sung at a lower register are some of most memorable and are sung towards the bottom of the musical staff.

African-American Grammy award-winning opera singer and recitalist, Jessye Mae Norman, is another favourite singer of mine. She has a majestic voice, which soars with beauty over music. Her expansive vocal range is just one of the many reasons why she is a masterful and highly respected singer. Although she has stopped performing ensemble operas, only concerts and recitals, there are a variety of DVDs and Youtube clips that show her ‘doing her stuff’ and singing on stage.

Some may argue that I've chosen the wrong feminine opera role to assign her vocal talents to as she is often associated with Wagnerian operas including the roles of Sieglinde and Strauss’ Ariadne, but I'd respond by reminding readers of my objective to hone in on notable feminine characters within opera repertoire.
Maria Callas, “La Divina”

I would like to add to the mix of female figures in opera the American-Greek soprano, Maria Callas. She is regarded as “La Divina” (the divine one) in operatic circles and recognised as the most famous diva of the 20th century. Her expertise, attention to musical detail and love for bel canto operas, including Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini, has made her an emotive soprano and historical operatic icon.
One could argue that her life was a living opera considering the torment and life struggles she had to endure from a hard upbringing, close-to wartime poverty, career pressures, rivalry with Renata Tebaldi and scandalous relationship with Aristotle Onassis.
I have choosen the aria ‘Sola, perduta, abbandonata’ from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut to touch on the breadth and calibre of Callas’ voice. It depicts a desperate girl, Manon, who is in love but knows that she is going to die. The song’s lyrics lament over her life and the consequences of her past actions, which have sealed by her tragic fate. 
I have written a review of Manon Lescaut from last year's performance by Kristine Opolais at the Royal Opera House. You can read it here. 
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Saturday, 20 December 2014

Royal Opera House: Nina Stemme - Tristan and Isolde ★★★★★


My critical view of Christof Loy’s acclaimed production of Tristan und Isolde is slightly marred by where I was sitting in conjunction to the Royal Opera House's stage – literally five meters away from Wagnerian Soprano Nina Stemme who won a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance as Isolde at its premier in 2010.
Having witnessed her vocal prowess and first-class performance at this year's Proms as an audacious Salome, my expectations were only skyrocketing for an opera said to be ‘intoxicated by passion almost to the point of depravity.’ Wagner, unlike other composers, wrote the libretto and poetry to his operas where ‘words, stage setting, visible action and music all come together in closest harmony towards the central dramatic purpose’ (otherwise termed as Gesamtkunstwerk (total art-work)). And here Stemme’s role as the heroine plays as much a significant part as Antonio Pappano’s conducting of the orchestra of the Royal Opera House.
In this four hour production Loy’s minimal setting, which is limited to walls, two chairs and a table, puts the onus on Pappano, the orchestra and the cast members’ vocal craft to evoke the drama on to the opera; in the back a parallel world: banquet of debauchery, is concealed by curtains that supposedly represent Wagner’s metaphysical influences from philosopher Schopenhauer and the yearning of endless night, darkness and even death. Although known for controversial productions, Loy's effective stage decision, here, is one that I fully support.
The preclude in Act I is a moving feast and it transcends from the overture - this unsettling and uncomfortable atmosphere of natural and sharp notes magically transfix into a reassuring romantic vortex, which sensationally flows and weaves. And Pappano just captures it like a butterfly in a nest. Of course, he is no stranger of Wagnerian Leitmotif as he also conducted Puccini’s Manon Lescaut in this year’s repertory and articulated his interest for such ‘sublime’ music. Yet once the overture was over, Pappano softened his conducting and left the magnitude to, what I thought was,  one of the most crucial parts of the opera in Act II alongside Liebstod. It seemed that he was saving the ardour and luster for the climactic parts. 
This was a different case for Stemme who entered with the same energy and fire, which she ended on.  In the 80 minutes where she had to sing continuously in Act II she was unflagging and we can only thank her experience as Isolde, in multiple opera productions, for her unrelenting performance - I can’t recall a note off. Her stage act as an angry Isolde to a undivided and loving Isolde was also developed and didn’t look a mark out of place. When Stephen Gould, as Tristan, and Stemme unite in Act II, I couldn’t contain my tears – the Celtic poetry that inspired Wagner and the hopeful romance, exceled by voice and music, was stupendous – never has an opera truly make me feel this way.
Stephen Gould is no stranger to Wagner either and has played multiple international roles as Siegfried and Lohengrin. Both him and Stemme seem to understand Wagner’s musical text and the notion of Liebstod (love-death) better than many. Although Stemme comes in full thrust, and a notch higher in quality, Gould has tones of mellowness that can romantically subdue audiences. The role of Tristan is not an easy one and even if he was soft toned on the poetry he managed to balance this out with higher notes, which he sang with glory and might.
Brangäne sung by Sarah Connolly was also a vocal blessing as the contrast character to Isolde. Her strong voice, and diction was in place as well as Brangäne's woeful worries that were particularly felt by the audience. The synergy between Stemme and Connolly were remarkable. And we see Iain Paterson as a wilful Kurwenal who sings with heart and poignancy in Act III.
The wonderful production, I experienced, hit some nostalgic nerves. Liedstod, as I understand it, is a swirling symphonic piece that can be appreciated on its own; yet it needs the right soprano with the vocal integrity and depth to extract the challenging and peculiar subtleties of the music. I’ve been listening to a lot of Jessye Norman and now Stemme and although different in voice I admire how immensely important it is for there to be a strike in balance for such a cosmically daring role as Isolde.  
Last showing tomorrow - More information here.
Recommended to queue from 8.30pm tomorrow (21st Dec) for day tickets
Courtesy of Royal Opera House for photographs

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