Richard Wagner - Tristan und Isolde / Charbonnet, Forbis, Fujimura, Dohmen, Reiter, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Jordan, Py (Grand Theatre de Geneve 2005)

Richard Wagner - Tristan und Isolde / Charbonnet, Forbis, Fujimura, Dohmen, Reiter, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Jordan, Py (Grand Theatre de Geneve 2005)
by Andy Sommer, Olivier Py

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Actor: Albert Dohmen, Armin Jordan, Clifton Forbis, Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet, Mihoko Fujimura
Director: Andy Sommer, Olivier Py
Conductor: Armin Jordan
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); German (Original Language); French (Original Language); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Digital Sound, Import, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 274 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-08-08
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Bel Air Classiques

DVD Reviews of Richard Wagner - Tristan und Isolde / Charbonnet, Forbis, Fujimura, Dohmen, Reiter, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Jordan, Py (Grand Theatre de Geneve 2005)

DVD Review: A respectable performance marred by gonzo videography...
Summary: 2 Stars

Take six competent singers, a not overly-conceptual concept production, an established conductor and world-class orchestra, a young stage director cutting his chops, and you have a challenging evening of musical theater. But record a large part of each act in startling, unflattering close-ups with hand-held, jolting cameras jumping between natural color and the nuclear green glow of night vision and you have a VERY annoying and disappointing viewing experience. Wagner's most intimate and intense love story was evidently not dumped on heavily enough by stage director Olivier Py for the label's taste; the cretinous video director Andy Sommer was engaged to pull the performance down to the sad level of eurotrash productions currently sweeping the continent.

What frustrates in the videography most of all is that one never has a clear concept of the stage space. It wasn't until watching the documentary on the production that I found out there was actually a model ship sailing from one side of the stage to the other in Act I. The bizarre angles are particularly puerile in the first act; Act II is almost steady by comparison, and much is lost from upstage in Act III. After viewing this DVD one could actually go to a live revival of the production and see it for the first time.

Musically, the revelation of the performance is the handsome American tenor Clifton Forbis, whose Baritone-like timbre and even production in all registers make him an admirable and heroic Tristan. Showing no signs of vocal fatigue in the grueling marathon that is Act III, his voice only squeaks once in the frenzied last scene of Act II. His total fearlessness in singing the role allows him to devote more energy to character refinement, which is rare among today's Tristans. His German diction is flawless as well. I won't consider him the great white Heldentenor, though, until I see his Siegfried.

Also impressive is the American soprano Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet as Isolde. She's a bit over the top with the teeth-gnashing in the first act, but delivers a performance varied in expression, dynamics and intensity. Her post-potion personality seems to be the one closest to her true self, for the high C she sings in Act II is effortless compared with the forced one she sings in the Narrative/Curse of Act I. She blends well vocally with Tristan, and actually KISSES him passionately and repeatedly, which is something you don't see often. Unfortunately, by the time the Liebestod comes around, she has already spent her vocal capital. Her final phrases are weak, flat, and flaccid, but she does manage to sing a beautiful last note on "Lust," even though it is mezzo forte (instead of pianissimo).

Mihoko Fujimara has a lovely voice, although it is only about half the size needed to sing Brangaene properly. As Koenig Marke, Alfred Reiter is lanky and melancholic, and has a smoothness to his not-so-deep bass voice that is fitting for the concept of his role as an ineffectual weakling. Albert Dohmen wins the testosterone award for his swaggering Kurwenal with a voice that cuts like steel. Do you really care about Melot?

I had truly expected more nuance from conductor Armin Jordan, who is by no means a stranger to Wagner. All tempos are on the fast side, which is fine if you can still draw the necessary tension, beauty, and wonder from the score. But all too often he seemed to be watching the clock. I've always tended to speculate on what kind of lovers conductors are/were from the way they direct/directed the Liebestod, Wagner's musical depiction of orgasm. M. Jordan, in contradistinction to his advanced age, would tend to border on the slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am. (Or, perhaps he's just trying to help out his failing Isolde.)

The final image we get on the DVD is a Dürer-like one of the conductor's uplifted hands with baton pointing toward the stage during the orchestral postlude, leading us to ask, "What the hell is up with Isolde?" Again, the documentary is useful for actually being able to see what she's doing during the last bars of the piece.

The stage director, M. Py, states in the extras that Tristan and Isolde is a morbid opera about teenage suicide. If only it could have been captured that way on DVD, instead of like some ineffably wretched teen video game.

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