[Met Performance] CID:98600



Tristan und Isolde
Metropolitan Opera House, Sat, February 25, 1928




Tristan und Isolde (177)
Richard Wagner | Richard Wagner
Tristan
Rudolf Laubenthal

Isolde
Gertrude Kappel

Kurwenal
Friedrich Schorr

Brang?ne
Karin Branzell

King Marke
Pavel Ludikar

Melot
Arnold Gabor

Sailor's Voice
Angelo Bad?

Shepherd
George Meader

Steersman
Louis D'Angelo


Conductor
Artur Bodanzky







Review 1:

Review in the Philadelphia Record

Wagner Classic Love Opus Sung by Metropolitan

Superb Performance of 'Tristan und Isolde' Given at Academy

Beautiful Stage Setting

The Metropolitan Opera Company of New York presented a rare treat for Philadelphia lovers of music last night at the Academy of Music, when it gave the music-drama, "Tristan und Isolde" by Richard Wagner. Gertrude Kappel was Isolde, and a beautiful and adequate one she was, although in the first act she showed a tendency to strain her voice too much, thus destroying some of its tonal beauty. She overcame this toward the latter scenes of this act and in succeeding acts reached a new note of achievement and received high applause and many curtain calls from the audience.

Miss Kappel's voice is rich and melodious and she uses it skillfully. In the duet with Tristan in the second act, perhaps the most beautiful in all operatic history, she acquitted herself in a marvelously successful manner. Her voice blended with that of Tristan smoothly and harmoniously and she preserved the histrionic spirit of the part with great fidelity.

Hardly less effective and pleasing was Rudolf Laubenthal in the part of Tristan. In the first act he was a cold and indifferent warrior, but in the second he became the fiery and impassioned lover, with all the graces and nuances that his part required. Rarely has a dramatic tenor of more pleasing tone and wide and melodious range been heard in the Academy than this capable artist.

In a minor part, that was nevertheless of much importance, both musically and dramatically, Julia Claussen as Brang?ne was adequate in her support of Isolde and always in good voice. Her part was either a tragic or a worried one throughout the play and she handled it with restraint and skill.

Friedrich Schorr sang the light role of Kurvenal with sonorous beauty of tone and Arnold Gabor gave his part of Melot, the spy of King Marke, a careful and studied delineation. King Mark, played by Pavel Ludikar, was musically excellent.

The musical theme of this opera, acclaimed by many the greatest love tragedy in the history of music, is two-voiced, the upper one a note of love and longing, the lower one of pain and suffering. Throughout the entire course of the drama these two themes are woven and interwoven repeated countless times in different forms, until the whole score becomes so intricate as to be almost symphonic. Because of this the orchestral accompaniment is of more than usual importance. Under the skillful direction of Artur Bodanzky, conductor, the orchestra was led through the intricate mazes of the semiautobiographical Wagnerian opus in a thoroughly effective manner. The woodwind portions in the second act, particularly forecasted the suffering with grim foreboding.

All three of the sets comprising the scenery of the three acts were partially out-of-doors, and gave unusual scope and opportunity for effective stage settings. The first and third acts, particularly, were very skillfully and beautifully handled.

Altogether this was a memorable night in the experience of confirmed operagoers.



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