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[Met Tour] CID:156710
Tristan und Isolde
Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts, Sun, April 15, 1951 Matinee
Tristan und Isolde (350)
Richard Wagner | Richard Wagner
Review 1:
Review of Cyrus Durgin in the Boston Glove
Wagner’s ‘Tristan und Isolde’ Ends Boston Visit of Metropolitan
Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde’ sung yesterday afternoon at the Boston Opera House, ended the 17th annual visit her of the Metropolitan Opera Association. This performance of the mighty masterpiece by Richard I was notable for the Isolde of Astrid Varnay and the conducting of Fritz Reiner, good in the singing of most of the other roles, and decidedly poor in the stage direction of the third act.
Miss Varnay had never sung Isolde in this city before. She has developed into a fine artist in the five years since she last appeared here. Her voice has grown, is now used with individuality and no longer suggest Kirsten Flagstad’s way of singing. The voice is still perhaps a shade under the size of the dramatic soprano needed for Isolde, but it is warm and very expressive.
As an actress, Miss Varnay promises to become one of the best of the Wagnerian wing. She eminates feeling, she moves easily, her gestures are physical motion in response to the dramatic situation of the moment. She is keenly intelligent and conscientious.
Svanholm, like Miss Varnay, has an attractive face and figure. For the first time in my memory, here were a Tristan (fortunately beardless) and an Isolde who really looked and acted like the pair of lovers Wagner intended. As one lady aptly put it: “They really sizzle.”
The timbre and size of Mr. Svanholm’s voice are equal to Wagner’s demands, although it is prevailingly a “white” voice and not capable of much variation in color. Nor has Mr. Svanholm yet mustered the pervading tenderness of the second act duet, or the mingled anguish, yearning and feverish fantasy required for the dying Tristan’s long sol scene in the third act.
Miss Harshaw, the Brangäne of the afternoon, is a fine artist, but she has not the dark timbre or quite the volume for Brangäne. Her “Einsam wachend” did not come out over the orchestra with the rolling intensity that beautiful interlude ought to have. Mr. Schoeffler’s Kurvenal also new here; the Marke of Mr. Ernster and Hugh Thompson’s Melot all were quite competent if not outstanding.
Once again Fritz Reiner, this time a little more expansive in gesture than ordinarily, proved his mastery of the Wagner style. The orchestra seemed to be tired, and there was a good deal of off-pitch playing, but under Reiner’s merciless exactions, the instrumental part boiled, seethed and became incandescent. But whether the pitch was right or not, the contrapuntal strands were always clear, and when Wagner demanded enormous volume the sound was rich and never thick.
The stage direction of the third act needs complete overhauling. The entrances of Isolde, Brangäne and the mortally wounded Kurvenal were awkward, and so was the grouping of Marke’s soldiers. The Shepherd’s timing of entrances were faulty, too.
Search by season: 1950-51
Search by title: Tristan und Isolde,
Met careers
Tristan und Isolde
Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts, Sun, April 15, 1951 Matinee
Tristan und Isolde (350)
Richard Wagner | Richard Wagner
- Tristan
- Set Svanholm
- Isolde
- Astrid Varnay
- Kurwenal
- Paul Schöffler
- Brangäne
- Margaret Harshaw
- King Marke
- Dezsö Ernster
- Melot
- Hugh Thompson
- Sailor's Voice
- Thomas Hayward
- Shepherd
- Leslie Chabay
- Steersman
- Lawrence Davidson
- Conductor
- Fritz Reiner
Review 1:
Review of Cyrus Durgin in the Boston Glove
Wagner’s ‘Tristan und Isolde’ Ends Boston Visit of Metropolitan
Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde’ sung yesterday afternoon at the Boston Opera House, ended the 17th annual visit her of the Metropolitan Opera Association. This performance of the mighty masterpiece by Richard I was notable for the Isolde of Astrid Varnay and the conducting of Fritz Reiner, good in the singing of most of the other roles, and decidedly poor in the stage direction of the third act.
Miss Varnay had never sung Isolde in this city before. She has developed into a fine artist in the five years since she last appeared here. Her voice has grown, is now used with individuality and no longer suggest Kirsten Flagstad’s way of singing. The voice is still perhaps a shade under the size of the dramatic soprano needed for Isolde, but it is warm and very expressive.
As an actress, Miss Varnay promises to become one of the best of the Wagnerian wing. She eminates feeling, she moves easily, her gestures are physical motion in response to the dramatic situation of the moment. She is keenly intelligent and conscientious.
Svanholm, like Miss Varnay, has an attractive face and figure. For the first time in my memory, here were a Tristan (fortunately beardless) and an Isolde who really looked and acted like the pair of lovers Wagner intended. As one lady aptly put it: “They really sizzle.”
The timbre and size of Mr. Svanholm’s voice are equal to Wagner’s demands, although it is prevailingly a “white” voice and not capable of much variation in color. Nor has Mr. Svanholm yet mustered the pervading tenderness of the second act duet, or the mingled anguish, yearning and feverish fantasy required for the dying Tristan’s long sol scene in the third act.
Miss Harshaw, the Brangäne of the afternoon, is a fine artist, but she has not the dark timbre or quite the volume for Brangäne. Her “Einsam wachend” did not come out over the orchestra with the rolling intensity that beautiful interlude ought to have. Mr. Schoeffler’s Kurvenal also new here; the Marke of Mr. Ernster and Hugh Thompson’s Melot all were quite competent if not outstanding.
Once again Fritz Reiner, this time a little more expansive in gesture than ordinarily, proved his mastery of the Wagner style. The orchestra seemed to be tired, and there was a good deal of off-pitch playing, but under Reiner’s merciless exactions, the instrumental part boiled, seethed and became incandescent. But whether the pitch was right or not, the contrapuntal strands were always clear, and when Wagner demanded enormous volume the sound was rich and never thick.
The stage direction of the third act needs complete overhauling. The entrances of Isolde, Brangäne and the mortally wounded Kurvenal were awkward, and so was the grouping of Marke’s soldiers. The Shepherd’s timing of entrances were faulty, too.
Search by season: 1950-51
Search by title: Tristan und Isolde,
Met careers