8 Comments
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donny rumsfeld's avatar

goddamn but you write absolutely beautifully about opera. i have yet to really get into wagner because i end up being tired by the sheer length, i dont mean that insultingly. i should try again - what is your favorite non-Met downloadable/streamable version of tristan and isolde?

oh -have you ever listened to bajazet btw, and have thoughts?

Thomas Kerr's avatar

Came here to ask the same! What videoed performance / audio recording do you recommend ?

kate wagner's avatar

my favorite recording of tristan is the 72 karajan one with helga dernesch and jon vickers. my favorite one on video can be found here https://youtu.be/QyfIIxW3rW4?si=Tw_eCuzu-6h-gNak

Doug Hesney's avatar

Phenomenal piece and review. I was blown away last Saturday and going back (with better seats thankfully) on the 4th. Wagnerism is back - for better or worse. The resonance of this particular production is an exclamation point. Or maybe it’s just Lise Davidsen

Ellen's avatar

tysm for the rec I managed to catch the last encore at my local theater! curious if you have ever watched the chimera ant arc of hunter x hunter. the strongest creature in the world whose only instinct is domination is born, falls in love, and dies within 40 days. anyways an amazing review and writing as always.

karolina !!!'s avatar

This is incredible! I saw this in LA (telecast live) this weekend and I really enjoyed the experience but I was turned off by the story itself (their “love” was grotesque), but your words ‘there is no tristan there is only Isolde etc’ offers me so much to think about! Thank you!

Daniel P Quinn's avatar

Vickers, Jess Thomas and Nilsson sang aloft on a lift platform at The Met when they transecended Tristan and Isolde in 1970/80s too

miriam's avatar

I know nothing about opera and simply came here because I have a paper to write about love myths, but I have fallen in love with your writing and by proxy with this opera. I'm about to fall head first into it. Definitely listening to it while I work on this essay. Truly incredible!!!