Oh, What A Night!

Tristan und Isolde
love's path isn't easy when there are so many casting changes

Wagner's five-hour epic love story of Tristan and Isolde was a bit longer than anticipated. I missed Monday night's performance due to work obligations only to feel a bit lucky since tenor Ben Heppner was replaced with John Mac Masters who received a rather harsh review in the Times. So what was supposed to be the historical paring of Deborah Voigt with Ben Heppner now turned into TBD tenors for the next additional three performances. I guess that is why the sold-out shows soon had tickets pop up and I was able to acquire a costly Orchestra seat a day before the performance.

Sitting in row D, I was a bit too close for my comfort. General Manager Peter Gelb made a rare appearance before the production to welcome a newcomer to the Met and the role of Tristan - tenor Gary Lehman. I guess, due to sour reviews from Monday, Gelb wanted to prepare the audience and soften the crowd for Lehman's debut.

Act I is more Isolde's scene. Voigt did a powerful job with the histrionics of Isolde, wound tight with the prospects of being hauled off to marry the King. She is basically held captive aboard Tristan's sailing ship. Isolde feels Tristan owes her his life since she nursed him back to health from a former battle. Isolde seeks a vial of poison from her companion, Brangäne, (Michelle De Young) who switches the vials and gives her instead a love potion which Tristan drinks followed by Isolde, thinking she is ending both their lives. We are left with two love-struck captives, clinging to each other on their way to the King.

I thought Lehman did a wonderful job with his first introduction and was comfortable enough not forcing every line and stanza, instead varying his performance to suit the act. Voigt sounded wonderful and very powerful, as this act calls for. while some were concerned about her high notes, I noticed no difficulties with her delivery. De Young as the mezzo-soprano, was at times a bit too loud and boisterous for my tastes. She also had this annoying technique of holding her body around the midriff as if she were adding force to her diaphragm. To me, it looked like she were giving herself the Heimlich maneuver.

Act II is where Tristan and Isolde must shine. They have several sustained duets where their timing and support are essential to the delivery. Voigt came out already looking radiantly softer and lovable compared to her tense and tight role in the first act. The gunwales of the bow had flattened to deliver just a simple sloping diamond-shaped stage. The mast had been replaced with a monolithic tower with doors opened to a golden shine, King and Queen in reign. Two large branches intrude on the two side of the stage, both exaggerated in proportion so their delicate leaves were actually as large as a human head. Voigt and Lehman were entrancing as they shared the stage, entwined as lovers are.

But soon something strange happened as Voigt exited stage left. Lehman was left alone, still singing, as the curtains came collapsing in on him - black, flat shades encroaching from top, left and right - leaving only the distant sound of his voice behind and the orchestra in the front. Soon Levine quieted the orchestra and Gelb reappeared to explain the problem. Ms. Voigt was ill and would be replaced with Janice Baird. This would also be Ms. Baird's Met introduction. Yikes! How unsettling for the singers and the production. So we all sat in our seats for about 15 minutes or so for the transition. Given the difficultly of the role of Isolde, I'm sure that anyone with a slight uneasiness of stomach would only make this illness worse by pushing through such a demanding piece. The Strange thing was that Ms. Voigt really showed no signs of illness right up until her exit.

Act II returned mid-duet with Lehman embracing Baird's Isolde from behind. The audience applauded before one note was delivered. Ms. Baird I'm sure looks lovely from a distance but I was way too close. Her over-bight, or perhaps her large upper front teeth, slightly distracted me but it was her method of delivery with posture that drove me crazy. Just when I thought I could put the Heimlich moves of Ms. De Young behind me, Ms. Baird arrives clenching her hands in upward cup-like motion right in front of her stomach as if holding an invisible diaphragm out in front of her just below her breast. And where Ms. Voigt's face shown love and dewy bliss, Ms. Baird's face and whole body just exudes tension and stress. Her performance was good in places of individuality but a few times her low notes seemed too low, perhaps due to her mezzo-soprano training (which I read about post-show). So while both Lehman and Baird did exceptional jobs stepping in on such an intimidating stage, they held there own individually. Where the cracks shown were when the couple needed to deliver duets. Recognizing that such deliveries take practice and timing, it was surprising to see them at least try to work together but alas, with such last-minute changes, many of Act II's lovely intertwined tenor and soprano moments were bumpy. Basically this act serves to deliver one of operas most emotional reflection of lovers as they soon are torn apart by the King and Tristan's friend Melot, who mortally wounds Tristan in the final moments on stage.

Act III lets Tristan shine and Lehman delivered a wonderful and textured performance. He first appears as a body lying on a bed backstage, slowly the bed seems to drift downhill towards stage front. Tristan is back home in his castle, very poorly represented with strange set decorations of a miniature castle along with mid-evil knights on horses and armor strewn about. Kernwel, his loyal servant and friend, played by Eike Wilm Schulte, walks about the stage looking like a giant about to squash the "toys" scattered about. Tristan sings about wanting to see Isolde; perhaps her presence will give him strength to live. Kernwel thinks he sees her on a ship coming into port. Tristan sings out in hope and Lehman delivered a rather good performance. And for the final moments, the act turns back to the arrival of Isolde, her longing for her lost love, and the King's arrival, with troops, at the scene of loss.

Ah, modern sets. While the little 'toys' popping up an down from below the stage were annoying, I did enjoy the use of color lighting and the flame, fading in and out with Tristan and Isolde's lives, presented forefront and the bow of the stage. Yes, the sets were modern. Yes, the lighting and colors were overt - red for fire and anger changing to softer pink hues for love, yellow for jealousy and society - but all that worked for me. Had they lost the trap-door entrances and miniatures, I would have been happy.

Levine conducted superbly. The sound he can deliver from such masterful musicians is truly worth the price of admission. So, while bumpy in parts as the replacements tried to find and compliment each other's voices, overall they did a pretty good job rising above the difficult circumstances. The New York audience, however, was excessively over compensating in their bravos, bravas, applause and standing ovations. Guess they just were happy to not see a train wreck. I bet the Milanese in Teatro alla Scala wouldn't be so kind, and that is why I think I like living in New York - they can be kind here when pressed.