Tristan und Isolde - Welsh National Opera - Cardiff Millenium Centre, 19 May 2012
Ben Heppner’s heartening return to form was one of the best things about the revival of WNO’s 20 year old Tristan on Saturday night. His expressive way with the words was built on the sensitive control of every vocal colour in his palette. A minor crack in the second act and some tiring in the third were forgiveable blemishes. His ungainly appearance only underlined his anti-heroic, supremely human portrait.
Tristan und Isolde - CBSO / Nelsons - Symphony Hall Birmingham, 3 March 2012
Forget staged, semi-staged or even notionally visual. The singers were lined up behind their music stands. The conductor was confined to a chair. This was a static Tristan und Isolde, even by concert version standards. But four enthralling hours proved that sometimes the music really is all that matters.
Tristan und Isolde - Nationaltheater Munich, 27 July 2011
A superbly-executed Festspiele performance of one of Munich's great productions. Covent Garden's older Wagner efforts are so embarrassing they're practically unrevivable. But thanks to Peter Konwitschny, the Bavarian State Opera has several that can be reliably resuscitated year after year, each time gripping/fascinating/provoking a new audience.
I won't bother with an full overview of the CBSO's 2011-12 season as the Birmingham Post has done an excellent job already. As always there's plenty there to justify a trip, and it's worth pointing out a few concerts are likely to sell out soon after booking opens on 6 June.
First up is a concert version of Tristan und Isolde on Saturday 3 March 2012 at 4.00pm. Andris Nelsons conducts, with Torsten Kerl as Tristan, Lioba Braun as Isolde, Christianne Stotijn as Brangäne, Brett Polegato as Kurwenal and Matthew Best as King Marke.
Lucky Birmingham also get a visit from Jonas Kaufmann. After last year's Bayreuth Lohengrin, he again teams up with Andris Nelsons on Wednesday 7 March 2012, this time to sing Strauss and Mahler.
On Wednesday 30 May 2012 there's a special concert in Coventry Cathedral which marks the 50th anniversary of Britten's War Requiem. Busy Andris Nelsons conducts Kristine Opolais, Mark Padmore and Thomas Quasthoff.
Tristan und Isolde - Deutsche Oper Berlin, 13 March 2011 (production premiere)
Petra Maria Schnitzer made her role debut as Isolde tonight at the Deutsche Oper. Tristan was her husband, Peter Seiffert, making the pair one of the very few real-life couples to play Tristan and Isolde since Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld and his wife Malvina created the roles back whenever. Novelty value aside, they did well to create a credible and compelling onstage relationship in a Graham Vick's baffling new production.
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Tristan und Isolde: Philharmonia Orchestra - Royal Festival Hall, 26 September 2010
This semi-staged production arrived in London at the end of a mini-tour that took in the unholy trinity of Lucerne, Dortmund and Birmingham. No surprise after all that practice to hear unusually disciplined playing from the Philharmonia - barely a note out of place all night. The puffed-up programme note - irritatingly braggadocious as an X Factor contestant - claims it "has the greatest claim of any orchestra to be the UK's national orchestra". Well, on this showing they were certainly the best-rehearsed.
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