Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
(abridged Montréal, 1975)

Cast: Roberta Knie (Isolde), Jon Vickers (Tristan), Maureen Forrester (Brangäne), Victor Braun (Kurwenal), William Wildermann (König Marke), Robert Calvert (Melot); Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Franz-Paul Decker (conductor), (stage and video directors not credited)

Recorded at Radio-Canada in Montréal in 1975

Issued on DVD by VAI in 2003 [4259, NTSC/all regions, menus in English, optional subtitles in English]

Technical details
Aspect ratio 4:3
Sound Monaural

Running Time 87 minutes
Sung in German
Tristan in 87 minutes? In one respect, this is a more accurate representation than most complete recordings: it conveys the personal relationship between the two lovers immediately and with affection. On offer are the last ten minutes of Act I; ten from the love duet and the final twenty-four of Act II; and the last twenty-two of Act III - most of the interaction of the title characters. Inevitably, one misses Isolde's Narration and Curse from Act I and such substance as the bulk of the love duet and Tristan's agony, but that is more than compensated by the warmth of interaction between Knie and Vickers, a much richer and more intimate pairing than he had with Birgit Nilsson two years earlier at Orange. Knie said of the concurrent stage performances under Mehta: "But I think Jon and I did a very erotic Tristan . . ."; indeed, they did.

Knie is the 'real thing' - a true hochdramatisch in timbre and style, handsome to see and comfortable in the simple costume and simplistic staging. This fraction of the opera may be frustrating for its abridgement, but it is gratifying that at least we have some video record of Knie on stage and a chance to see Vickers in a fresh aspect. The other elements of the recording are all competent without being exceptional: soloists, chorus, orchestra, conducting, sound and picture set the stage for the lovers. This is in no sense a substitute for a complete recording, but it is worthwhile for those interested in Vickers and in an Isolde contemporary with Nilsson but reminding one more of Frida Leider.
 
Related website:
Video Artists International (VAI) http://www.vaimusic.com/
 
Michael Richter, 10 September 2004
mrichter@cpl.net
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.