Carlos Kleiber - Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (1982) [2018 SACD]

A lot of ink has been spilled about child prodigies like Mozart, but little attention has been paid to the phenomenon of the late bloomer. Clearly Wagner belongs to the latter group: had he died at 50, with the premiers of Tristan, Meistersinger, the Ring, and Parsifal before him, he would be considered only a musical middleweight.

Tristan marks his first fully mature work and establishes Wagner as a composer of the first rank. This digital recording from the early 1980s features a good, experienced cast. Rene Kollo is nearing the end of his effective career, but turns in a workmanlike performance, while Margaret Price sounds fresh and young. During his career, Maestro Carlos Kleiber has not competed with Herbert von Karajan or Georg Solti in the number of his recordings, but the quality of his output has always been among the best, and here he offers an exceptionally delicate orchestral reading.

Recorded August & October 1980, February and April 1981, and February & April 1982

The reissue of classical music masterpieces by ESOTERIC has attracted a lot of attention, both for its uncompromising commitment to recreating the original master sound, and for using hybrid Super Audio CD (SACD) technology to improve sound quality.


Tracks:

1-1 Einleitung/Prelude 10:33
1-2 "Westwärts schweift der Blick" 5:26
1-3 "Frisch weht der Wind der Heimat zu" 9:28
1-4 "Weh, ach wehe! Dies zu dulden!" 17:51
1-5 "Auf! Auf! Ihr Frauen! Frisch und froh!" 7:22
1-6 Herr Tristan trete nah!"/"Begehrt, Herrin, was Ihr wünscht" 20:03
1-7 "Tristan!" - "Isolde!" - "Treuloser Holder!" 6:50

2-1 Einleitung/Prelude 2:05
2-2 "Hörst du sie noch?" 14:17
2-3 "Isolde! Geliebte!"/"Tristan! Geliebter!" 17:28
2-4 "O sink hernieder, Nacht der Liebe" 5:17
2-5 "Einsam wachend in der Nacht" 2:45
2-6 "Lausch, Geliebter!" - "Laß mich sterben!" 4:50
2-7 "Doch unsre Liebe, Heißt sie nicht Tristan und - Isolde?" 2:32
2-8 "So starben wir, um ungetrennt" 8:02
2-9 "Rette dich, Tristan!" 1:30
2-10 "Tatest du's wirklich? Wähnst du das?" 12:12
2-11 "O König, das kann ich dir nicht sagen" 8:50

3-1 [Mässig langsam] 4:31
3-2 (Man hört einen Hirtenreigen/The sound of a shepherd's pipe is heard) 3:01
3-3 "Kurwenal! He! Sag, Kurwenal!" 8:33
3-4 "Hei nun! Wie du kamst?" 9:27
3-5 "Noch losch das Licht nicht aus" 5:10
3-6 "Noch ist kein Schiff zu sehn!" 11:49
3-7 "Bist du nun tot? Lebst du noch?" 9:02
3-8 "O diese Sonne! Ha, dieser Tag!" 3:22
3-9 "Ich bin's, ich bin's, süßester Freund!" 5:58
3-10 "Kurwenal! Hör! Ein zweites Schiff" 7:47
3-11 "Mild und leise wie er lächelt" (Isoldes Liebestod) 7:26


Personnel:

Staatskapelle Dresden
Carlos Kleiber, conductor
Rundfunkchor Leipzig
Gerhard Richter, chorus master
Tristan - Rene Kollo, tenor
Konig Marke - Kurt Moll, bass
Isolde - Margaret Price, soprano
Kurwenal - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone
Melot - Werner Gotz, tenor
Brangane - Brigitte Fassbaender, alto
Ein Hirt, Anton Dermota, tenor
Ein Steuermann - Wolfgang Hellmich, baritone
Ein junger Seemann - Eberhard Buchner, tenor