TRISTAN UND ISOLDE--NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

Cast of Tristan und Isolde at National Opera Center

By guest reviewer Ellen Godfrey

Producing, preparing, and performing Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde is not for the faint of heart.  Wagner’s operas demand so much from the singers, musicians, designers, and directors…arguably more than any other composer.  Artistic consultant Peter Randsman started thinking about the possibility of a concert performance of the opera without orchestra, but with piano, to be performed in a small intimate performance space. His goal was two-fold; first to have the singers articulate the text…to be dramatic and to get the emotion out there without scenery or costumes and secondly to give singers a chance to perform this great and taxing opera and to give the audience the opportunity to hear it.

 Peter and his colleagues assembled a fearless cast of singers. Coordinating the performance was conductor and music director, Maestro David Gilbert, chief assistant to conductor Pierre Boulez at the 1976 Wagner Bayreuth Festival, and pianist William Hobbs, a soloist as well as featured pianist with orchestras, and ensembles. LeAnn Overton wrote the English subtitles. She is a vocal coach on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music and Montclair University. Peter Randsman has performed as an actor/singer in many musicals, has sung with the New York City Opera, and has his own artistic management company. He was very involved in working with the singers.

This Tristan was performed at the National Opera Center in New York City, to a sold out house on Friday evening, November 30. I am happy to report that it was a great success.  Maestro Gilbert’s conducting was firm and totally attuned to every nuance of the difficult score. William Hobbs was amazing at the piano; for over four demanding hours he played with passion, drama, sensitivity, and understanding.

The opera was sung in German, with English subtitles and, as is common in concert versions of operas, the singers had scores. However, they were still able to convey their emotions and interact with each other. The rehearsal period was only three weeks. The only singer in the cast who had ever sung Tristan was Adam C.J. Klein, who performed the role at the Seattle Opera. It truly is amazing that the performance came together so well.

Tristan und Isolde is based on a 12th century Germany legend. Tristan is bringing Isolde to Cornwall by ship for her marriage to King Marke. Isolde and Tristan have both fallen in love with the other, but both keep their feelings hidden. Brangane, her maid, can see that Isolde loves Tristan and substitutes a love potion for the poison Isolde and Tristan were preparing to take. Under the spell of the potion, Isolde and Tristan admit their love for each other. 

Later they have a passionate encounter at night, but are discovered by King Marke, who is furious. Tristan flees to France despite the wounds inflicted on him by his former friend and betrayer Melot. Isolde follows him to France,but by the time she gets there he is dying. She dies by his side, enraptured and transfigured by love.

The singers were all up to the task. After the first act prelude, the tenor, Jeremy Brauner, sang a lovely Irish song beautifully and clearly. He was equally at ease with three other roles; the betrayer Melot, a steersman, and a shepherd.

There are few opera soprano and tenor roles that have as much singing as  Isolde and Tristan do. Both Julia Rolwing, as Isolde, and Adam C. J. Klein as Tristan, proved to be wonderful in their parts.  In Act I, Isolde’s narrative and curse, Julia Rolwing displayed the anger boiling inside.  She has an even dramatic soprano range, from top to bottom and has no fear of the high notes. Her voice has a lovely dusky quality.  

Adam C. J. Klein was equally fearless in his singing. He has a bright tenor voice and uses it for dramatic purpose when called for. After drinking the love potion, they sang lovingly to each other.  The Act II duet, which runs about 30 minutes, was introduced very delicately by William Hobbs and was sung with great love, excitement, and intensity.

Act III belongs to Tristan; who sings for about 40 minutes, with a couple of interruptions by Kurwenal. While some tenors take some cuts in the third act, Adam insisted he would sing it uncut. The length of the scene did not prevent him from singing with passion and a strong, dramatic voice. 

The end of the opera belongs to Isolde. After all that singing, Julia Rolwing could still sing an unforgettable Liebestod…starting off slowly and gradually increasing in sound and going easily higher and higher until the music fades.

Brangane, Isolde’s maid, was performed by Alison Bolshoi. Although she was a soprano, she is now a contralto. She has an exciting and even big booming voice from top to bottom.  The lower notes of her contralto voice are absolutely gorgeous.  Her singing of Brangane’s watch in Act II, was outstanding.

Kurwenal, Tristan’s retainer, was sung by helden-baritone Bryan Glenndavis. His voice beautiful voice is very expressive and big. He is perfect for Wagnerian roles.

King Marke, who is to marry Isolde, was sung by bass Eric Lindsey. I was  extremely impressed with his distinctively beautiful bass voice. He sang without pushing his voice and was very dramatic in his castigation of Tristan.

Justin McBurney, the English horn player had a lovely tone. He comes in for the third act. He played with great joy ,when appropriate and also great feeling.

Thanks to all who participated in this wonderful performance.  I found it very interesting just hearing the piano, especially played by such an excellent  pianist as William Hobbs. Maestro David Gilbert led a brilliant performance. There is nothing better than hearing opera voices live. I hope that Peter Randsman and his group can perform other operas in a similar manner.

NEW YORK OPERA COLLABORATIVE

Suchan Kim, Seung Hyeon Baek, Michael Fennelly, Victor Starsky, Ashley Bell, Augusta Caso, Jordan Pitts, Nicole Guberman, and Jason Tramm

There can never be too many small opera companies in New York City and we felt privileged to attend the stunning debut of New York Opera Collaborative at The National Opera Center last night. A collaboration between Host and Co-Producer Andrea DelGiudice (herself a renowned spinto soprano, voice teacher, and Vocal Director of the Narnia Festival) and Artist Manager and Co-Producer Peter Randsman (whom we recently met judging a vocal competition), this venture brought in such a large audience that extra chairs had to be brought in to accommodate the crowd. Somehow, good news travels fast on Planet Opera.

Most of the cast was known to us and we expected to hear some fine performances in this concert version of Puccini's beloved masterpiece Madama Butterfly. We were not disappointed. Voices were glorious all around and the Italian diction perfectly clear--a good thing when there are no titles to read. Each singer created a believable character--there was nothing generic in any performance.

New York Opera Collaborative shares our mission of keeping opera alive; it was created to sponsor and mentor young artists and to give them a chance to try out new roles in a safe environment. Several of the young artists will go on to perform these roles with other companies like Heartbeat Opera (one of our favorite companies) for example, or as a Studio Artist with Sarasota Opera. We found ourselves wishing that the cast had committed the roles to memory since being on the book presents a barrier between fellow artists and between artist and audience. The dramatic skills each brought to the role was in evidence but a bit difficult to sustain, what with the glancing and page turning.

Soprano Ashley Bell wore the role of Cio-Cio San as well as the kimono and tabi she sported. The intensity of her "Un bel di" was shattering and she brought every skill in her armamentarium to bear on her delivery. The remainder of her performance was marked by a bright clear tone, excellent phrasing, and a wide palette of colors. She convinced us as a naive and hopeful 15-year-old, a deluded bride, an angry woman when challenged, and a resolute and noble figure who refuses to live without honor. It was a bit difficult to imagine her motherly feelings without a child present but the colors of her voice did the trick.

In the thankless role of the arrogant US Naval Lieutenant Pinkerton, tenor Victor Starsky played his role to the hilt. He sang with a lovely legato. Our wish for him is the same as our wish for most tenors--that they learn that sometimes less is more--singing high doesn't mean singing loud. Mr. Starsky sounded the best in the tender passages at a pianissimo level. His transformation to a place of anguish and remorse at the end of the opera was quite moving.

As Suzuki, mezzo-soprano Augusta Caso sang with a lovely rich tone and was quite believable as the voice of reason, whether she was comforting or confronting Butterfly. We have heard Ms. Bell and Ms. Caso sing together on a prior occasion and find them extraordinarily well matched. Their duet was a true high point of the evening.

Our favorite character in the opera is Sharpless--he is the one with "eagle vision", able to predict but helpless to forestall the coming trainwreck. Baritone Seung Hyeon Baek, recently so astonishingly effective in Cardona Opera's Cav&Pag, was able to capture the dignity and humanitarian nature of the man, while producing his customary burnished sound that falls so pleasantly on the ear. Significantly, he sang off the book and more credit to him.

In what amounts to a cornering of the baritone market by Koreans, Suchan Kim did double duty as the angry Bonze and the suitor Yamadori, whom he wisely portrayed as a serious suitor, avoiding all the silly kitsch that has become a boring accretion to the role. In this case, we know that Butterfly does not reject him because he's a fool but because she is faithful to her Pinkerton and still believes he will return to her.

In the role of Goro, we heard Jordan Pitts whose sweet tenor fell on the ear like warm butterscotch. He too avoided overplaying the part and we were able to focus on his mellifluous sound. It is still sounding in our ear.

Soprano Nicole Guberman is new to us and, since Kate Pinkerton has few lines to sing, we can only say that we very much want to hear more of her.

Conductor Jason Tramm, sitting off to the side, was totally immersed in his conducting and seemed to be breathing along with the singers. We always enjoy that kind of involved conducting.

At the piano, we had Michael Fennelly whom we have heard countless times but not in a full length opera. He is so noticeably involved with both the score and the singers that there was never a lapse of support. He seemed to know exactly when to exert full power on the keyboard and when to lighten up and give the singers plenty of room. We were able to hear subtleties in the score that we never noticed with a full orchestral reading. Such nuance is appreciated.

In spite of the music stands, this was one of the most affecting performances of Madama Butterfly we have heard. What an auspicious debut! We count ourself in for this company's future performances.

(c) meche kroop