Tristan and Isolde in Gøteborg.
Tristan & Isolde
Tristan and Isolde ought to be separated by hate, yet they love each other more than they love life itself
.
With this gigantic and intimate drama, we celebrate Wagner’s bicentennial.
Premiere in Gøteborg February 9th
Tristan and Isolde in Gøteborg
GØTEBORG: A ship out at sea, between the Ireland of the king’s daughter Isolde and her future homeland in Cornwall, is the setting for this gigantic but intimate drama with a deadly love potion at its heart. Using material from Celtic legend,
Richard Wagner weaves a multi-faceted and tragic love story, full of philosophical and existential themes
. The famous Tristan chord of the overture changed the history of music forever. The harmonic, late romantic music has the ability to transfix its audiences and touch us deep within our soul.
Lars Clevemann, sings Tristan, Photo Anne Thorbjørnsen
Tristan loves and desires Isolde, but as he has been ordered to act as her consort and take her to Marke, King of Cornwall, his honour forbids him to face up to his feelings. Isolde, who loves and desires Tristan, is deeply hurt by his rejection and decides that they should drink a goblet of poison together
. Secretly, Isolde’s lady’s maid replaces the deadly potion with one whose effect is to create an irrevocable love. Now madly in love, Tristan and Isolde submit to their spiritual and physical love in a stunningly beautiful love duet, one of the longest and most passionate in the history of opera. Their imprudence and deceit has terrible consequences in this story of a love so overwhelming that it can be fulfilled only in death.
Annalena Persson, sings Isolde. Photo Camilla Simonson
In charge of the production is the close-knit and acclaimed team behind the production of Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung at Wermland Opera in spring 2011. Director Wilhelm Carlsson returns to The Göteborg Opera after Goya (2009) and set designer Peter Lundquist returns after Mary Poppins (2008). Conductor Stefan Lano makes his first appearance in Sweden.
Some of Scandinavia’s leading singers have come together for Tristan and Isolde. Isolde is sung by Annalena Persson, who has already interpreted the role on several international stages. As her beloved Tristan we see Lars Cleveman, making an eagerly awaited first appearance at The Göteborg Opera after his summer 2011 debut in Bayreuth as Tannhäuser. Katarina Karnéus makes her appearance as the lady’s maid who turns death into love
. American baritone James Johnsson takes the role of Kurwenal.
| Conductor | Stefan Lano | |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | Wilhelm Carlsson | |
| Set design | Peter Lundquist | |
| Costume design | Ann-Mari Anttila | |
| Light design | Torkel Blomkvist |
| Tristan | Lars Cleveman | |
|---|---|---|
| King Marke | Mats Almgren | |
| Isolde | Annalena Persson | |
| Kurwenal | James Johnsson | |
| Brangäne | Katarina Karnéus | |
| A Shepherd | Iwar Bergkwist | |
| Melot | Marco Stella | |
| A Steerman | Jonas Landström | |
| A young sailor (recorded) | Tomas Lind | |
| The Göteborg Opera Male Chorus | ||
| The Göteborg Opera Orchestra | ||
| Extra Chorus (Male) | ||