The opera is sung: Wagner's most complex masterpiece was shown in Moscow
Valery Gergiev and his Mariinsky orchestra performed one of the largest and most complex operas in world history in Moscow.: "Tristan and Isolde" by Richard Wagner. The six-hour performance, shown two nights in a row, demonstrated that Russian singers and orchestras can perform the music of the German genius no worse than his compatriots. However, the director's approach to philosophical drama does not look so convincing. Izvestia witnessed a historic event.
Everest has been conquered
Maestro Gergiev seems to have decided to thoroughly make friends with the capital and Wagner's music. Despite the importance of this name for world culture, it was in Moscow that his huge operas took root with difficulty. The earlier "Lohengrin" and "The Flying Dutchman" had more luck, the later operas led by "Tristan" had less. Another thing is St. Petersburg, where Gergiev played almost the entire Wagnerian repertoire, and the tetralogy "Ring of the Nibelung" became the hallmark of the Mariinsky Theater.
The opera "Tristan and Isolde" by Richard Wagner
Well, since Valery Abisalovich is now connected with the Mother See no less firmly than with the city on the Neva, it's time for Muscovites to get used to the work of the German genius. Apparently, the artistic director of the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky reasoned so, having taken up the matter thoroughly. Earlier this month, the entire branded "Ring" was shown twice on the stage of the GABT. And at the end of March, we also saw "Tristan", a completely new production (the premiere in St. Petersburg took place in December 2024). And this event is no less or even more significant, even if Zaryadye, where two performances took place, is not really intended for theatrical action.
The opera "Tristan and Isolde" by Richard Wagner
The main thing here, of course, is music. "Tristan and Isolde" is the Everest in the world of opera art. The first performer of Tristan's role lost his voice after working on the role, and for a long time this opus was considered a real curse for singers. To this day, only the bravest take up it — and very carefully, and, as a rule, after the age of 40, when the voice is as strong as possible. Wagnerian singers are, in principle, a rather narrow "caste"; the German's parts require special vocal qualities and specific training. But even among those tenors who sing Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Sigmund, Siegfried or Parsifal, few dare to take up Tristan; well, sopranos much more often perform Elsa, Sieglinde, Kundry than Isolde.
The opera "Tristan and Isolde" by Richard Wagner
Not only does it require armor-piercing vocals that overlap a symphony orchestra with a huge brass section, but the very duration of the piece turns it into an endurance marathon: for four and a half hours, the performers of the main parts practically do not leave the stage. Of course, this is a test for everyone: for the conductor, for the orchestra, and for the audience. In Zaryadye, we note that not all the viewers could stand it. By the third act, which began around 11 p.m., bald spots appeared in the sold-out stalls. But those connoisseurs who still sat to the end gave the performers a long standing ovation, risking being late for the last subway (the last sounds of the opera sounded around half past one).
By yourself with "Tristan"
There was a lot to thank the artists for. Without any discounts or reservations, the performance should be recognized as exemplary. Izvestia attended the second evening, where Zhanna Dombrovskaya sang the main part. And her powerful, but at the same time precise vocals seemed optimal for the role: there was no heaviness in it, as well as forcing the sound, and yet he never drowned in the stormy waves of the Wagner orchestra. But Gergiev managed to cultivate two Isoldes at once: Tatiana Pavlovskaya was engaged in the first performance. And since she also sang at the main premiere at the Mariinsky, we can assume that she manages the part at least as well as Dombrovskaya.
The opera "Tristan and Isolde" by Richard Wagner
Tristan is the only one: Mikhail Vekua, and now he can safely be recognized as the main Wagnerian tenor of the country. The singer's love frenzy in the second act and the near-death emotional swing in the third are equally convincing. And the fact that he was able to take the stage in this exhausting, devastating role two nights in a row seems like an act of heroism.
The opera "Tristan and Isolde" by Richard Wagner
The performers of the other parts also proved to be on top. "Tristan" is not the most populous opera, on the contrary. But even the minor characters here get huge monologues that not everyone, even a very good artist, can master. The Mariinsky orchestra (which includes not only singers, but also an orchestra, including excellent instrumental soloists, and, of course, Maestro Gergiev himself) did everything well. In other times, such work would have triumphed on Western scenes and become a sought-after export product. In our reality, its value is even higher. It is not known when we will resume cooperation with European, in particular, with German theaters. And now it turns out that we can master the most difficult Wagnerian operas without them — and with brilliance.
On the way to the island of the Dead
If there is any weak link in the St. Petersburg brainchild, it's directing. When it became known that at the Mariinsky, "Tristan" would live in the concert hall, and not on the main stage, this raised many questions. Was this decision a consequence of circumstances, or, on the contrary, was the venue chosen for the scenic concept? In any case, this explains why the play landed in Zaryadye in Moscow, and not at the Bolshoi Theater. There is no curtain, no complicated stage engineering is required, and the scenery is minimal.
The opera "Tristan and Isolde" by Richard Wagner
The directors Konstantin Balakin and Alexey Stepanyuk were guided by Arnold Beklin's famous symbolist painting "Island of the Dead", and the oblong gray structures in the center of the stage, glowing from the inside, really resemble trees from the famous canvas, while the semicircular soft fabric frame is associated with lighter mountains. In general, the parallel is quite natural: "Tristan and Isolde" is an opera about death, about the inexorable movement towards non-existence. And at the very end, when the bed of the deceased Tristan turns into a boat and Isolde leads her into the distance, setting off on her last journey with her lover, the allusion becomes quite clear.
But this idea does not solve the main problem of the work. There is practically no action in it, the events unfold not so much in the visible world as in the souls of the characters. And coupled with the enormous length of the performance, this makes "Tristan" completely stageless. To overcome this staginess, the director needs to come up with some kind of parallel visual drama (moreover, it does not contradict the musical one and in no way prevents the artists from singing), place accents, and draw the audience's attention to the complex philosophical and symbolic series of the libretto.
The opera "Tristan and Isolde" by Richard Wagner
Do Balakin and Stepanyuk have something similar? Probably not. Some successful finds, such as the above-described Isolde floating away at the end, only emphasize that in most scenes we are not talking about full-fledged directing, interpretation, artistic interpretation, but rather about auxiliary scenic design. The quality of the video sequence on the canvas above the stage is completely perplexing. Here I would like to immediately recall Bill Viola's video art, which played a crucial role in the 2005 Paris production. His gigantic projections, showing water and fire, fascinated and became (together with the direction of Peter Sellars) just that creative attempt at interpretation, which is desperately lacking in the St. Petersburg performance.
However, let's be optimistic: if we have learned to sing and play "Tristan" at such a high level, it will come down to directing. After all, you can just listen to Wagner's masterpiece performed by Gergiev and the Mariinsky musicians, closing your eyes and plunging into the darkness that the opera's characters desperately called for.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
