Tristan und Isolde

It has been a couple of busy days. Yesterday all went by in the Copenhagen opera where Richard Wagner's opera, Trisatn und Isolde was on the program.

Tristan and Isolde is one of the harder operas to go to: almost no story, the dramatic and over the top love story is based on what you might call false love as it is created by a love potion. It also is seen as the one moment where European music was changed for good, and atonal and ambigious tonality entered, and then it is about four hours long not counting the breaks between the acts:)

I am surprised how much of an impression it did on me. A flawless musical experience (and Tristan and Isolde is so much about the music). The Royal Orchestra was brilliant - the cor Anglais and bas clarinet stood out. All singers were world class. The liebestod of Isolde actually lightened up my whole nervous system - pretty wild experience.

And well... the tenor playing Tristan looked and moved a bit like Oliver Hardy which was hilarious. But he could definitely sing, and a little laugh in Wagner's not very funny opera was ok.

Here the two most important pieces of the opera. The beginning and the ending with Daniel Barenboim. Waltraud Meier sings the liebestod (lovedeath) of Isolde.