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Brangaene JANE IRWIN
Kurwenal JONATHAN SUMMERS
Tristan DAVID RENDALL
Melot LEIGH MELROSE
King
Marke MATTHEW BEST
A
Shepherd ALISTAIR ELLIOT
A
Helmsman PAUL NAPIER-BURROWS
Chorus
and orchestra of English National Opera
[ Cor
anglais - GEOFFREY BROWNE]
Conductor
- DIETFRIED BERNET
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This was ENO, not Glyndbourne, but now I am no longer disappointed that I couldn't get to Glyndebourne. The conductor, Dietfried Bernet, was making his ENO debut, and he was really the hero of the evening - after the first few bars, everyone stopped shuffling their feet, rattling their newspapers, whispering, etc. etc, as they became mesmerised by Wagner's magic yet again.......the tempi were slow and langorous, but not ponderous (probably the older among us were reminded of Goodall and/or Knappertsbusch), just very sensual - appropriately so.
Susan Bullock was absolutely radiant as
Isolde, with a clear, ringing soprano, lovely sustained top notes, and a deep
understanding of the text. As this is ENO, it was sung in English, with a
translation by Andrew Porter. Her diction is clear - it is never possible to
hear ALL the words in the Coliseum, but I think this may have more to do with
the acoustics than with the singers' diction, because at the Barbican, where
ENO are currently doing semi-staged performances of the RING, you CAN hear ALL
the words. Certainly about 80% of Porter's admirable translation can be heard
in Susan Bullock's intelligent and passionate interpretation. She was
especially impressive in Act I, conveying Isolde's confusion and anger, he
unwillingly to admit to herself her true feelings towards Tristan.
In fact she dominated the second Act as
well - David Rendall did his best, but he did not really measure up to the musical and dramatic abilities of his Isolde.
As a result, the Love Duet didn't quite build up to the pitch of unbearable
tension that one expects - although it DID in the orchestra, but the singers
couldn't quite match it - they seemed happy rather than ecstatic.
Rendall did, however, cope very well with
Act III, I suspect that he may have been holding himself back for this, as he
did achieve considerably more than just getting through it! He had obviously
really thought about Tristan's "mad Scene" (I have put this in
quotation marks because in an interview re-printed in the programme, the
producer, David Alden, stated that he didn't think it WAS a mad scene.....) and
conveyed the delirium and hysteria convincingly. I wouldn't characterise his
voice as precisely that of a Heldentenor, though, he obviously hasn't quite the
"weight" needed for Tristan, and he was rather subdued in Act II, as
I said.
Jane Irwin was immensly sympathetic as
Brangaene, especially in her "Habet Acht" warning to the lovers in
Act II. She comes on to the stage to sing it.....I will say a few words about
the staging later. Jonathan Summers was a robust, supportive Kurvenal.
Matthew Best was King Marke - I wasn't
entirely happy with his portrayal, but I suspect that may just be that for me
no-one can ever efface the memories of Gwynne Howell, whose portayal of King
Marke had me in tears.........Best is currently the Scottish Opera's Wotan, and
his voice is deep and sonorous - perhaps it is just that he didn't sound quite
grieved enough.
Right - the staging. Er...the first act
isn't on a ship, well not really. When the dividing wall or curtain rises as
Brangaene approaches Tristan, there is a wheel in the middle of the stage, so
that it does make some kind of sense when Tristan says "Liess' ich das
Steuer jezt zur Stund - wie lenkt' ich sicher den Kiel zu Koenig Markes
Land?" I am not sure how important this is, except that Wagner's TEXT does
contain many references to the fact that they are on board a ship heading for
Cornwall. There is also a point at which Brangaene unwraps an object which I
THINK was supposed to be Morold's bloodied head, and I found this a bit
unnecessary, I don't think they would have brought it with them......especially
as Tristan and Isolde forget about it for the rest of the act anyway.
I should say that I don't in principle
have a problem with minimalist staging, or with the fact that Tristan and
Isolde don't embrace, or even touch each other, throughout the love duet - the
point being that it all goes on in their heads anyway, and I don' t think King
Marke has a lot to worry about! But when this production was staged before
(about 1996, I think) the lack of physical contact was managed better, because
Isolde was positioned in a niche in the wall of a ruined courtyard, where she
looked like a Byzantine icon, and Tristan groped blindly about, never quite
reaching her.......that was better than having them standing or sitting at
opposite ends of the stage, and Isolde toying with Tristan's sword.
These are really just minor quibbles,
though - one stroke of directorial genius was to have King Marke enfold Tristan
in a paternal embrace at the end of his lament, showing that he is grieved not
angry.
I would still have liked to see the
Glyndebourne production, of course, but this must have been at least as good.
Dr.
Jane Susanna ENNIS
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on the image to visit a site devoted to the Arthurian legend. Very interesting and informative.
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