Metropolitan Opera Archives

Wagnerites came into their own last night in the beautiful performance of "Tristan und Isolde" given by the Metropolitan Opera Company at the Academy of Music. There have been productions of the opera distinguished by voices more fitted to the trying exigencies of the vocal score, but largely owing to the conducting of Artur Bodanzky, the artistic staging and the inescapable atmosphere of medievalism, together with much that was excellent in the vocalization and impersonation of character, the impression last evening was one that brought great pleasure to the audience and resulted in many curtain calls for the singers.

The orchestration of 'Tristan und Isolde" is a gorgeous and continuous fabric of melodic and poetic beauty; so marked in fact that the true lover of Wagner at his greatest height is not acutely concerned with what goes forward on the stage. He closes his eyes and floats on clouds of sensuous sounds oblivious of time and often indifferent to the impassioned voices of the most imperative of all operatic love stories.

The principals of last night's cast, Nanny Larsen-Todsen as Isolde and Rudolf Laubenthal as Tristan were admirably suited to their roles, Mme. Larsen-Todsen portraying the character with many fascinating original ideas that enhanced the histrionic values of her work and gave to Isolde a feminine grace and appeal rarely seen. Her impersonation frequently, in its delicacy and youthfulness, aroused memories of some lovely Juliet. Vocally the singer was entirely adequate, without rising to some of those superb reaches heard from other great sopranos of the past. Laubenthal was artistic in the manipulation of his rather limited vocal resources and portrayed the role of Tristan with a great deal of dignity and impressiveness.

Some of the most conspicuously beautiful music of the opera aroused the enthusiasm of the audience. The garden scene, with its ravishing duet culminating in the Liebestod with its tragic interruption and finale, met with the usual outburst of applause. The cast included Clarence Whitehill, as Kurvenal, Pavel Ludikar, in the character of King Marke, and Karin Branzell, as Brangäne. The Melot was Arnold Gabor.

Search by season: 1926-27

Search by title: Tristan und Isolde,

Met careers