A new recording of this opera is not needed; in the past couple of years we’ve had two newly recorded ones of varying quality and there’s no dearth of others, both studio and previously “private”. Assuming you have the EMI Furtwängler, the Opera d’Oro Kleiber, and/or the Philips Böhm/Nilsson, you still might want to hear this version for a couple of reasons.
The primary one is the Isolde of Christine Brewer. Here is a voice of such grandeur and warmth that you might say she has the steel of Nilsson and the womanly qualities of Flagstad; of course, she is neither singer and I wouldn’t dream of removing an iota of sheen from their achievements in the role. Brewer’s voice, however, has great breadth and apparent limitless reserves of power. In a recording like this one, in which the tempos are broad and the orchestra–not an opera band but a Symphony Orchestra–is urged to play with great force and occasional disregard for the singers’ capabilities, she has no trouble riding over the waves of sound without a hint of effort, shouting, or anything other than great expressivity and musicality. You might call her Isolde “Italianate” if that didn’t imply certain stylistic tics. Her reading is that of a woman wronged, but so in love that she’s almost fragile. Her feelings are white-hot and very close to the surface; we can practically read her face. It’s a great portrayal.
It’s crucial to mention that this “live” performance was recorded on three separate evenings at which only one act of the opera was performed; this certainly might help to explain Brewer’s lack of strain. But congratulations anyway, and to the other reason Tristan fans may need this recording: the leadership of Donald Runnicles. Considering that Acts 1 and 3 were given almost three months apart, he has a remarkable grasp of the work’s collective drama, and while his tempos are on the leisurely side (the opera takes a half hour longer than Böhm’s), there’s no lack of tension. He builds to crescendos with masterful control and the BBC Orchestra is superb throughout.
The others in the cast do not dazzle. John Treleaven’s Tristan is certainly good enough: the voice has weight and is never in danger of letting him (or us) down, but you rarely want to hear more from him. Peter Rose’s Marke is similarly good but is not in a class with the likes of Talvela, Moll, or Pape. Dagmar Peckova sings handsomely as Brangaene but misses the mysterious, “night” quality that is so crucial to her second-act warning. Boaz Daniel’s Kurwenal is good but lacks memorable moments. The sound is full and grand. In short, Brewer’s Isolde must be heard and Runnicles’ entry into the Tristan sweepstakes is very impressive; but if you can only own one, two, or three recordings of this opera, note the three mentioned in the first paragraph above.
