Wagner Sheopenhauer Hitler and Tristan unde Isolde

I have never been a fan of the operatic works of Richard Wagner because of prejudices starting as a child of the Blitz and whose first memory was of a V1 rocket heading for our home and falling short, and then learning that his music was favoured by Hitler because he believed it extolled the things in which he believed. I have also to be honest that I find the German language harsh perhaps because of my Mediterranean heritage Spanish, Italian and Greek have all had greater appeal. This has not prevented experiencing some of his thirteen opera in the cinema via relay from a great opera House.  Der fliegende Hollander and Die Meistersinger within the past three years had impressed and changed some of my previous feelings.  

The epic duets of Tristan unde Isolde experienced at the Cineworld Bolden on Saturday evening at 5pm, 8^th October 2016 means that I do get their worldwide popularity and I also realised that without preparation such as when seeing a Shakespeare play the ear takes time to attune. The opera was being relayed from the Metropolitan Opera House, New York which is celebrating fifty years since moving to its present premises at the Lincoln centre from the inadequate and limiting former home where the effort had been made to create an auditorium fit for the elite but failed to foresee the needs of singers and for staging as the 20th century progressed. One of the advantages of attending the Relays is the provision of background films and live interviews which in this instance covered the history of Opera House and which opened at the Lincoln centre on September 16^th 1966 over a year late and even then the new machinery kept failing putting the opening in peril.

In fact, it has been the tendency of the Met to appear to concentrate on spectacular staging and when during intervals there is no film or interview taking place the camera shows the background work between acts of changing staging and vast area which the back stage occupies whereas previously some staging had to be kept outside against the back wall and in all weathers. In addition to its huge chorus and orchestra the Met has an army of people working behind the scenes as well as front of House and which is added to up to over fifty more in order to make the relays and which also lead to DVD’s and CD’s. Even with its refurbishment and updating the Royal Opera House has always struck me as less extravagant although my impression, which I accept may be false is that the British House has been pioneering the use of digital projection and which was a feature of this production with each Act commencing with projections of a large ring in which there are abstract images of a vessel travelling in a turbulent sea, or just the forces of nature dictating the events of human kind.

In Tristan and Isolde of Tristan and Isolde the two leads played by the renowned Nina Stemme and the more still up and coming Stuart Skelton are on stage for some four hours together or separately with other soloists. There is no on stage chorus and that off stage is only heard briefly. The performance rests on the two principals and the other soloists all exceptional. There is some theatrical movement with at the ends of the set stairways between the decks of the ships.

For this writing of my experience I will reproduce the story provided by Wikipedia to which I donate a monthly subscription such has been the value to me over the past three years, although I always check any material with other sources. I am doing this because for the first time there was double printed sheet setting out the story and presenting the cast list and which I suggest may mark a move to persuading the relay goer to go to digital programme which includes film clips in addition to the photographs, production notes and credits in the programmes previously free but now available at a cost of less than half the printed souvenir, unless you chose to print out in colour

“Act 1

Isolde, promised to King Marke in marriage, and her handmaid, Brangäne, are quartered aboard Tristan's ship being transported to the king's lands in Cornwall. The opera opens with the voice of a young sailor singing of a "wild Irish maid", ("Westwärts schweift der Blick") which Isolde construes to be a mocking reference to herself. In a furious outburst, she wishes the seas to rise up and sink the ship, killing herself and all on board ("Erwache mir wieder, kühne Gewalt"). Her scorn and rage are directed particularly at Tristan, the knight responsible for taking her to Marke, and Isolde sends Brangäne to command Tristan to appear before her ("Befehlen liess' dem Eigenholde"). Tristan, however, refuses Brangäne's request, claiming that his place is at the helm. His henchman, Kurwenal, answers more brusquely, saying that Isolde is in no position to command Tristan and reminds Brangäne that Isolde's previous fiancé, Morold, was killed by Tristan ("Herr Morold zog zu Meere her").

Brangäne returns to Isolde to relate these events, and Isolde, in what is termed the "narrative and curse", sadly tells her of how, following the death of Morold, she happened upon a stranger who called himself Tantris. Tantris was found mortally wounded in a barge ("von einem Kahn, der klein und arm") and Isolde used her healing powers to restore him to health. She discovered during Tantris' recovery, however, that he was actually Tristan, the murderer of her fiancé. Isolde attempted to kill the man with his own sword as he lay helpless before her. However, Tristan looked not at the sword that would kill him or the hand that wielded the sword, but into her eyes ("Er sah' mir in die Augen"). His action pierced her heart and she was unable to slay him. Tristan was allowed to leave with the promise never to come back, but he later returned with the intention of marrying Isolde to his uncle, King Marke. Isolde, furious at Tristan's betrayal, insists that he drink atonement to her, and from her medicine chest produces a vial to make the drink. Brangäne is shocked to see that it is a lethal poison.

Kurwenal appears in the women's quarters ("Auf auf! Ihr Frauen!") and announces that the voyage is coming to an end. Isolde warns Kurwenal that she will not appear before the King if Tristan does not come before her as she had previously ordered and drink atonement to her. When Tristan arrives, Isolde reproaches him about his conduct and tells him that he owes her his life and how his actions have undermined her honour, since she blessed Morold's weapons before battle and therefore she swore revenge. Tristan first offers his sword but Isolde refuses; they must drink atonement. Brangäne brings in the potion that will seal their pardon; Tristan knows that it may kill him, since he knows Isolde's magic powers ("Wohl kenn' ich Irland's Königin"). The journey almost at its end, Tristan drinks and Isolde takes half the potion for herself. The potion seems to work but it does not bring death but relentless love ("Tristan!" "Isolde!"). Kurwenal, who announces the imminent arrival on board of King Marke, interrupts their rapture. Isolde asks Brangäne which potion she prepared and Brangäne replies, as the sailors hail the arrival of King Marke, that it was not poison, but rather a love potion.

Act 2

King Marke leads a hunting party out into the night, leaving Isolde and Brangäne alone in the castle, who both stand beside a burning brazier. Isolde, listening to the hunting horns, believes several times that the hunting party is far enough away to warrant the extinguishing of the brazier – the prearranged signal for Tristan to join her ("Nicht Hörnerschall tönt so hold"). Brangäne warns Isolde that Melot, one of King Marke's knights, has seen the amorous looks exchanged between Tristan and Isolde and suspects their passion ("Ein Einz'ger war's, ich achtet' es wohl"). Isolde, however, believes Melot to be Tristan's most loyal friend, and, in a frenzy of desire, extinguishes the flames. Brangäne retires to the ramparts to keep watch as Tristan arrives.

The lovers, at last alone and freed from the constraints of courtly life, declare their passion for each other. Tristan decries the realm of daylight which is false, unreal, and keeps them apart. It is only in night, he claims, that they can truly be together and only in the long night of death can they be eternally united ("O sink' hernieder, Nacht der Liebe"). During their long tryst, Brangäne calls a warning several times that the night is ending ("Einsam wachend in der Nacht"), but her cries fall upon deaf ears. The day breaks in on the lovers as Melot leads King Marke and his men to find Tristan and Isolde in each other's arms. Marke is heartbroken, not only because of his nephew's betrayal but also because Melot chose to betray his friend Tristan to Marke and because of Isolde's betrayal as well ("Mir – dies? Dies, Tristan – mir?").

When questioned, Tristan says he cannot answer to the King the reason of his betrayal since he would not understand. He turns to Isolde, who agrees to follow him again into the realm of night. Tristan announces that Melot has fallen in love with Isolde too. Melot and Tristan fight, but, at the crucial moment, Tristan throws his sword aside and allows Melot to severely wound him.

Act 3

Kurwenal has brought Tristan home to his castle at Kareol in Brittany. A shepherd pipes a mournful tune and asks if Tristan is awake. Kurwenal replies that only Isolde's arrival can save Tristan, and the shepherd offers to keep watch and claims that he will pipe a joyful tune to mark the arrival of any ship. Tristan awakes ("Die alte Weise – was weckt sie mich?") and laments his fate – to be, once again, in the false realm of daylight, once more driven by unceasing unquenchable yearning ("Wo ich erwacht' weilt ich nicht"). Tristan's sorrow ends when Kurwenal tells him that Isolde is on her way. Tristan, overjoyed, asks if her ship is in sight, but only a sorrowful tune from the shepherd's pipe is heard.

Tristan relapses and recalls that the shepherd's mournful tune is the same as was played when he was told of the deaths of his father and mother ("Muss ich dich so versteh'n, du alte, ernst Weise"). He rails once again against his desires and against the fateful love potion ("verflucht sei, furchtbarer Trank!") until, exhausted, he collapses in delirium. After his collapse, the shepherd is heard piping the arrival of Isolde's ship, and, as Kurwenal rushes to meet her, Tristan tears the bandages from his wounds in his excitement ("Hahei! Mein Blut, lustig nun fliesse!"). As Isolde arrives at his side, Tristan dies with her name on his lips.

Isolde collapses beside her deceased lover just as the appearance of another ship is announced. Kurwenal spies Melot, Marke and Brangäne arriving ("Tod und Hölle! Alles zur Hand!"). He believes they have come to kill Tristan and, in an attempt to avenge him, furiously attacks Melot. Marke tries to stop the fight to no avail. Both Melot and Kurwenal are killed in the fight. Marke and Brangäne finally reach Tristan and Isolde. Marke, grieving over the body of his "truest friend" ("Tot denn alles!"), explains that Brangäne revealed the secret of the love potion and that he had come not to part the lovers, but to unite them ("Warum Isolde, warum mir das?"). Isolde appears to wake at this and in a final aria describing her vision of Tristan risen again (the "Liebestod", "love death"), dies ("Mild und leise wie er lächelt"). “

According to Wikipedia and other sources a knowledge of aspects of the German philosophy of Schopenhauer is essential to understanding key issues in the opera and also explains why much of the Opera has been set at night. My knowledge of Schopenhauer was limited to reading the chapter in Russell’s history of Western Philosophy which I have quickly skimmed through reminding that he was pessimistic about human behaviour believing that the will of the individual especially their passions and desires dominated reason and knowledge. The Wikipedia article explains that Wagner sets his opera at night where the lovers can express their passions and be themselves without having to put on the fronts of the daytime and that night, the dark, also represents death, the end or transition from human form depending on beliefs.

The star of this opera in terms of written role and individual performance is that of the Swedish soprano Nina Stemme acclaimed worldwide for commanding and technically brilliant performances of the work of Wagner and what we were able to see because of the close ups that she is an outstanding actress.  She is married, lives in Stockholm with three children and speaks five languages.

Two other of the soloists are recognised worldwide great Wagnerian singers. Of the roles they perform. Ekaterina Gubanova from Russia who plays Brangane came to the Royal Opera House at 23 and the Met in 2007 but achieved prominence because of her role as Brangane in Paris in 2005. Similarly, Rene Pape from the former East Germany as King Marke has been described by one critic as having an enviable base voice who brings compassion to the role to which I would add an enlightened understanding of human relationships even before he finds out about the love potion, the device for taking away individual responsibility for subsequent behaviour reminding immediately of what happens in a Midsummers Night’s Dream.

The conductor Sir Simon Rattle made his name with the Birmingham City Orchestra and is shortly leave the Berlin Symphony where he has been since 2002 to become D head the London Symphony Orchestra in 2017. His role as the conductor of Tristan unde Isolde is not only his debut with the Met but may be his first at any major Opera House. He made the point of saying that he encouraged the orchestra to make full and lasting notes. Several of the singers emphasised that the music of the piece is essential not just to reflect the words and their mood but to reveal something of the tragedy ahead.

The supporting soloist whose role is developed in its importance in the final act is that performed by the Russian baritone Evgeny Nikitin whose plays Kurwenal and whose interview, whether from nerves or his usual mannerism when interviewed standing was to have a swaying motion which distracted from what he was saying. His singing and acting was again exceptional. 

Stuart Skelton has performed in the works of Wagner and in the role of Tristan in his homeland of Australia. He fully merited the ovation given at the end. I appreciated the quality of the singing and acting and understood something more of the appeal that Wagner’s work has especially for the German speaking people. Can I say I was emotionally engaged? No. Was it an enjoyable and satisfying experience? Again I must say no. Did I feel I had made a good choice to attend? Yes. Will I go to other productions when relayed? Yes.