Love Awash in NY's Carnegie Hall with 2nd Act of "Tristan"

It was a long awaited Carnegie concert, which had actually premiered in Boston’s Symphony Hall just a few days earlier. Both concert halls, famed for their excellent acoustics, truly matter. They enabled the singers to blast forth in Richard Wagner’s renowned fortissimos and revert successfully to his persuasive pianissimos. This is one of Kaufmann’s acclaimed feats in his personal, incredibly wide, range of Italian, French and German opera repertory. When it comes to Wagner, Kaufmann has conquered the leads in Lohengrin, Walküre, Parsifal and Meistersinger, but has not tackled Tristan , one of the most challenging of them all. The opera world was watching for this dry run...

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) with the creation of Tristan, is said to have been 50 years ahead of his time -- the catalyst to modern music. The dissonance, so mild to our contemporary ears, was shocking is his time. Equally disturbing was the idea of the Gesamptkunstwerk, ( Total work of art,) in which the music and the text are of equal value, and even dance, the visual and acting aspects of a production share in this equality scheme.

Wagner’s creation of the text and score of Tristan took place during his politically necessary exile in Switzerland, where he had a possibly non-consummated, but ardent love affair, with the wife of his host, Mathilde Wesendonck.

Wagner all along had been strongly influenced by the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer with his tremendously pessimistic view of the world. To this was added Friedrich Nietzsche’s equally bleak view of the human condition. Therefore one can easily imagine Wagner’s involvement with the light of love and darkness of death, so much talked about in any discussion of this highly romantic opera.

For his poetic libretto, he drew upon the potent legend of Tristan and Isolde; the “ultimate personification of love” – which can be traced to the Highlands of Scotland, circa 780. The legend evolved through many centuries in myriad venues, changing the story along the way. In modern times it has the knight Tristan being healed of battle wounds by the Irish Princess Isolde, and their having something of a fling. In Act 1 he returns to fetch her to become the bride of his uncle, King Marke. She feels totally betrayed; persuades her maid, Brangaene, to mix a lethal drink to kill both herself and Tristan.. The maid/friend cannot make herself do so and instead gives them a love potion that overpowers them immediately. Subsequently in Act 2, the ardent lovers risk everything to enjoy the passionate Liebesnacht, (Night of Love,) and get caught in the act. Tristan asks Isolde whether she will follow him into the darkness of death, before allowing himself to be fatally wounded. Act 3 has him dying, (Marke forgiving once he knows about the powerful love potion) and Isolde dying of love, after she sings the marvelously beautiful “Liebestod” (Lovedeath.)

We were given the entirety of the magnificent, but overwhelmingly demanding 2nd act – 1 1/4 hours of continual challenge. Everyone in the assembled cast acquitted him or herself most admirably. This was to be expected, since each member has a fully established global career. Outstanding were the Japanese mezzo-soprano Mihoko Fujimura, who is endowed with a lovely, mellow tone. It made her Brangaene a special delight. And the German bass, Georg Zeppenfeld, as King Marke, delivered his lengthy “betrayal” in a sensitive, yet stentorian manner. He has a magnificent voice and was part of this evenings ensemble in which every single note was on key.

Of course, the major gauntlet confronted our doomed lovers. The Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund’s Isolde, was in excellent taste. She handled the dramatic volatility called for in smooth transition, without the shrillness that frequently occurs with Wagner “Helden-Sopranos.” She is an attractive ornament in this category, which the audience seemed to appreciate.

But the love fest with the audience was, of course, with Kaufmann, who has unfortunately had to miss some of his scheduled Metropolitan appearances, even before his vocal-chord illness, which prevented him from singing for a number of months. Everyone was poised to judge whether his sound was as superb as before.

And many, as I too, appreciate the courage it must take to fully sing the fortissimos in the tessitura, lest the ailment repeat itself. Indeed, Mr. Kaufmann may have protected himself by repeatedly consuming water from planted bottles near his stand. (This is reminiscent of the late, great Franco Corelli who planted water-laden sponges in the sets of the Met.)

The deafening applause and race to present a host of flowers and gift packages to the super-star, were proof the audience is convinced he is in top form again. And he was. He came through with his usual burnished, rounded tones, splendid diminuendos, and absolutely clear diction. Any German-speaking listeners certainly did not have to refer to the super-titles provided. He is back and welcome.

The same goes for the conductor Andris Nelsons, who drew thrilling sounds from his famous Boston Symphony clan.

During a spirited interview with the conductor and the two leads, which was on YouTube and partly reprinted in the NY Times, all three reflected on the difficulties the act represents, discussed the Wagnerian invention of strung-together multi-words, and the reality that this act is so hard to stage well.

There is a famous story, that during a rehearsal of the 2nd act of Tristan in Bayreuth in 1876, Malvida von Meisenburg, an admirer of Wagner, was continually viewing everything through opera glasses. Suddenly someone behind her clapped his hands over her eyes, and a voice (Wagner himself) whispered: “Don’t look so much; listen!”

Thus the concert version of the act is apt to lead to the true enjoyment of the work, because it allows the listener to use his or her imagination in picturing the ardent rapture. The audience reaction at Carnegie seems to bear that out.

As to Kaufmann’s tackling the full Tristan: During a lengthy radio interview in Boston, he mentioned that it was to happen in about three years. Let’s hope we’ll get to experience it at the Met.