Germany Wagner, Tristan und Isolde: Soloists, Refrain and Extras of Theater Lübeck, Philharmonic Orchestra of Hansestadt Lübeck / Stefan Vladar (conductor). Theater Lübeck, 2.2.2025. (DM-D)
Manufacturing:
Director – Stephen Lawless
Set and Costume design – Frank Philip Schlössmann
Lighting design – Frank Hampel
Video – Andreas Beer
Refrain director – Jan-Michael Krüger
Dramaturgy – Sören Sarbeck
Forged:
Tristan – Ric Furman
Isolde – Lena Kutzner
Kurwenal – Steffen Kubach
King Marke – Rúni Brattaberg
Brangäne – Marlene Lichtenberg
Melot / A Shepherd / Younger Sailor – Noah Schaul
Helmsman – Viktor Aksentijević
Two veteran freelancers, director Stephen Lawless and set and costume designer Frank Philip Schlössmann, collaborated as visitor artists with the lead singers (additionally visitor artists) and common firm members on this long-awaited new manufacturing of Tristan und Isolde in Lübeck. There have been a number of debuts, for Ric Furman as Tristan, for Lena Kutzner as Isolde, for Noah Schaul as Melot, Shepherd and Younger Sailor, in addition to for the theatre’s Basic Music Director Stefan Vladar as conductor. They should have been nervous nevertheless it didn’t present, at the least not till the joyous aid on the curtain name to standing ovations because the viewers actually jumped to their toes after the ultimate chords. For a smallish municipal theatre as is the one in Lübeck, mounting a Wagner manufacturing is a serious endeavour, and the dangers in assembling a staff and forged for such a demanding work are appreciable. Right here, the trouble paid off on a big scale.
Lawless and Schlössmann introduced the plot to a big maintain of a ship, with bulls’ eyes on the larger degree and a staircase main all the way down to the bottom from a door fairly excessive up. Hanging about this inside house, with rounded partitions suggesting the form of a ship. From the highest of the ship’s body to the ground and lengthening on the ground there was a spot that had the zigzag form of a lightning stroke. One space was that of Isolde and Brangäne, the opposite that of Tristan and Kurwenal, with an armchair on all sides. The house was predominantly lit with harsh gentle, emphasising the gray of the partitions, however for the love duet in Act II, for instance, the house was forged in heat pink gentle. The hole, which initially couldn’t be stepped throughout, closed for the union of Tristan and Isolde and separated once more once they parted. When Marke found the lovers, he appeared from the center of the newly fashioned hole. The story was thus informed in a easy however poignant approach.
The love potion led to states of rapture in Tristan and Isolde, however remoted, every predominantly for him- or herself, not a lot as unmediated togetherness. They stood collectively whereas consuming the potion, however then, because the potion took its impact, every ran off to their respective space and sank into their respective armchairs. In the course of the love duet there was a lot motion of searching for to come back collectively and by no means fairly succeeding, all the time interrupted by countermovement away from one another. The subtleties of those encounters have been nicely labored out, and equally delicate was Kurwenal’s unjudgmental incomprehension as to Tristan’s completely surprising behaviour – he merely couldn’t perceive why Tristan would behave so surprisingly.
The debuts have been very profitable certainly. Ric Furman as Tristan impressed with a clear, radiant, targeted sound. His vocal energy was appreciable, not stunning in case you take heed to the cries of ‘Wälse!’ from Die Walküre on his web site. Stamina and quantity have been much like these of a younger Andreas Schager, whereas not neglecting, certainly equally excelling at extra mild, delicate, lyrical materials, such because the love duet. Lena Kutzner was clearly conscious of the location and use of her voice, and breath, for each single second of the night. This allowed for a good presentation from starting to finish, with ringing high notes and a agency basis within the decrease register. The voice was mellow, with out the sharp edges regularly heard from different good singers of this half, however nicely rounded, golden quite than silvery, relaxed even in probably the most dramatic moments. Noah Schaul’s triple debut was additionally successful: his voice was vivid and clear, and he managed to offer the three completely different elements (Melot, A Shepherd, Younger Sailor) with completely different shades of singing. Lengthy-standing firm member Steffen Kubach was a really convincing Kurwenal. He sang the function very melodically, with out the necessity to resort to shouting – according to the function’s conception as an empathetic loyal companion quite than the macho character we get in some productions.
Visitor artist Marlene Lichtenberg (Brangäne) had sung with the Lübeck firm earlier than; her voice was very stunning, notably within the decrease register. Rúni Brattaberg had been an organization member for some earlier years. He was introduced as having observed surprising issues along with his voice whereas warming up; whereas he clearly struggled, and regarded uncomfortable and apologetic due to it, within the few moments when his ‘actual’ voice got here by, it was apparent what a effective studying of King Marke we missed.
Whereas Christian Thielemann’s rendering of the rating excels by the finely chiselled element, with many moments you suppose you might have by no means heard earlier than, conductor Stefan Vladar stood out to me for the attention of, and bringing out, the stream of the music total, the arcs, the excessive and low tides, the broad rhythm quite than the minute element. Performed on this approach, the waves intermittently projected onto the partitions of the ship turned much more significant.
Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe
