Customer Reviews

Wagner - Tristan und Isolde / Bohm, Nilsson, Vickers

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

To see Birgit Nilsson and Jon Vickers together on the stage is something that most people in the 60's and 70's could just dream of seeing. They didn't do many performances together, which is a shame. I bought this performance on CD from Opera d'Oro a couple of months ago and I loved it, despite the blowing wind in the background. Then I saw that the performance was available on DVD, and I was so excited that I felt I HAD to have it. I ordered it right away and yesterday I recieved it.

I played the DVDs right away and what noticed right away was the horrible camera work and sub standard sound. The sound quality was somewhat better than the CD, so the sound satisfied me. What was really frustrating was the camera not being where I wanted it to be many times. Why did it had to pan the solists on the far sides and why did it had to zoom out at couple of key moments?

But there are so much that is great about this performance. I find myself extremely fortunate to see Vickers and Nilsson performing my favourite opera. Their performances are so powerful that you can't stop looking at them. The love duet is so beautiful and their acting is exeptional, even though they don't do much on stage during the duet. Vickers' act 3 performance has to be seen to be believed. At all times he sings beautifully and excitingly while acting so wonderfully. His expressions, eyes and voice do all the acting perfectly.

Walter Berry's Kurwernal is also very good. He sings the part wonderfully and his acting is equally good. Bengt Rundgren, I thought, was very stiff as King Marke, but he sang the part with more betrayl in his voice and acting than I am used to hearing. Ruth Hesse is weak link vocally in the supporting cast, but her acting is very good. I just wish that Christa Ludwig had sang in Paris that day.

The picture quality is not good, but not bad either. It shows very little evidence to having been restored. The colors are washed out and it is quite soft. The picture and sound quality were good enough for me. I would have been satisfied with a B/W picture. To see the two greatest interpreters of this great opera in the latter half the 20th century is something that I would want to see. The sets were not so much to my liking, but so much better than the horrible production I saw on the Mehta performance on DVD with West and Meier. Even though there weren't any boat, a garden or a castle in the production, I was satisfied.

The other reviewers have said that it is too bad to buy. If you are, like me, a great fan of the opera, Vickers and Nilsson, then you wouldn't want to pass this up, despite the shortcoming of the camera work

Buy this wonderful performance if you are a die hard fan. If you aren't, you should wait for the Met DVD with Heppner and Eaglen. I am going to buy that one myself when it comes out.

Truth-in-advertising time: The sound is poor (which is surprising, since a CD recording of this performance in clear, vivid sound has long been available on a French import label), and the camera work is unsteady and amateurish, with washed-out colors. Still, this is the only known video of Nilsson and Vickers together in this opera, which they performed as a team only a handful of times (though there's a bootleg black-and-white videocassette of Nilsson in "Tristan" with Wolfgang Windgassen under Pierre Boulez). Vickers does "Tristan" excerpts in a Canadian videocassette, but with nothing like the intensity we see in this French show. Together, Vickers and Nilsson are the Tristan and Isolde of one's dreams, and even in this subpar DVD set their brilliance leaps out at you. The love duet and Tristan's third-act delirium are all you could ask for vocally. Until the Met releases its Eaglen/Heppner "Tristan" on DVD, this is the one to get, for all its flaws.

If you are looking for a Tristan video with state-of-the-art sound, a sumptuous production, and great picture quality, this is not the video for you. Although made in 1973, the sound is very poor -- the singers sound for some reason pretty distant. There are also occasional dropouts in sound. If you have trouble hearing Birgit Nilsson, you KNOW you're in trouble! I fixed this by turning up the volume on my TV. The video was also filmed live in Orange, which is an outside amphitheater. The sets therefore are extremely spare. To be precise, it's little more than a large circle stage, with two ascending staircases, and lighting effects to imply scene changes. For instance, during the first act, which takes place on a ship, the lighting is filled with blues to imply (get it?) the sea waves. The costumes are also extremely spare, without anything to suggest a princess (for Isolde) and a warrior (for Tristan). If ever a production was "minimalist" this is it. The only are where no expenses were spared were, unfortunately, the wigs. Birgit is wearing a black helmet wig, and King Marke is in a truly ridiculous wavy/curly silver wig with a matching beard.

Then why do I say this is the best Tristan on video? Simply because of the voices. Jon Vickers and Birgit Nilsson, while not perfect, are head and shoulders above the singers in any other Tristan video (including the latest, the Eaglen/Heppner video from the Metropolitan). This was 1973, and both Vickers and Nilsson were ever-so-slightly past their primes. Even so, these are impressive performances. Nilsson's voice was always bright and laser-like, and lacked the warmth of Kirsten Flagstad or Helen Traubel. Despite this, her Isolde is commanding, passionate, and she's a surprisingly good actress, especially in the first act, when Isolde is filled with uncontrollable rage. Vickers' voice is an acquired taste. Never conventionally beautiful, it has this edge to it that I know many people dislike. Nevertheless, it's one of the rare voices that could handle a role as punishing as Tristan. This is particularly evident in Act 3, when many Tristans falter completely. In the bad old days, Act 3 used to be abridged to suit the tenor (Jean de Reszke, Lauritz Melchior were two legendary Tristans that probably never sang an uncut Tristan). Walter Berry is Kurwenal and Ruth Hesse is Brangaene. Brangaene's breathtakingly beautiful "warning" in Act 2 unfortunately goes for naught when sung by the uninspiring Hesse.

Karl Bohm is the conductor. Bohm is an odd conductor -- in Mozart, he could be easygoing to the point of lugubriousness. But in Tristan, he acts like he's on speed. This Tristan is probably one of the shortest complete Tristans on record (209 minutes, when most Tristans run about 4 hours). For speed, he sacrifices much of the luxuriousness of the music (especially in Act 2) but for such a long opera that's not necessarily a bad thing. I have read the reviews and agree with all the technical complaints, but until a better Tristan and Isolde come along, this video remains essential to all lovers of this very beautiful opera.

Filmed live at the Theater Antique D'Orange, France in the summer of 1974, this Tristan And Isolde is of particular significance to fans of its lead tenor/soprano pair - Jon Vickers and Birgit Nilsson, who by this time in their career had garnered fame and fans. Just look at how vast that audience is, seemingly thousands of people are in that amphitheater, and all of them there to watch this amazing pair! If only I had been around to see them that night myself but I'm only 18. This DVD is not out yet but it's to be released in Italy and Amazon.com, though this DVD is already out for American audiences on DVD and available on Amazon.com in another format. I'd like to analyze what I like and don't like about this DVD so as to get you interested in the DVD or make you think twice, whichever is your decision.

HERE ARE THE GOOD PARTS:
Vickers and Nilsson give it their all, singing with expressive vocal technique, dramatic and beautiful tones, Wagnerian musicality and Jon Vickers is even trying to be somewhat macho and sexy in the "bad boy" sort of way. Mezzo-soprano Ruth Hesse is perhaps the most satisfying Brangane ever performed, and this fact is a sad one as she was not famous in the States or in the world opera scene and was probably a lesser-known European/German singer herself, maybe even an understudy for some other great mezzo soprano who might have been indisposed to sing the role that night. Could it have been Regina Resnik who sang Brangane opposite Nilsson many times before, even on the Solti studio recording from 1963 ? Ruth Hesse uses a dramatic voice, and is beautiful to hear, making her role more active and passionate than other Branganes who try to be lesser lights to Isolde. This performance makes Brangane look especially important to the story. After all, it is she who opted to switch the death potions to love potions which still resulted in the death of Tristan and Isolde. Mozartian baritone specialist Walter Berry surprised me in the role of Kurnewal, Tristan's faithful companion. His baritone voice is melodic to say the least, but he successfully changes his instrument to properly fit the music of Wagner, which basically means long, drawn-out phrasing and dramatic monologues. He looks good, he is still quite young and he sings with incredible control, never overacting or oversinging. However, he does seem to be a little uncomfortable and even apears shy, though not nervous. He is singing opposite the great Jon Vickers after all. As for Jon Vickers, his Tristan has long been hailed as the finest interpretation. Vocal-wise, it's a revelation. Where as Wagnerian tenors before him were bombastic and unsubtle (take Laurence Melchior and Wolfgang Windgassen for example) Vickers manages to sing with a degree of subtlety and nuance. This is a vigorous, very masculine Tristan, but one with a romantic, softer, vulnerable core. His first encoutner with Isolde is particularly dramatic and thrilling, the Love Duet is heavenly and his Final scenes, in which he has been wounded and sings of death and reunion with Isolde, is especially powerful. Some, however, may see him as melodramatic. He does appear to be going mad before he dies in Isolde's arms. This can seem inappropriate or downright silly. Its a "death scene" but not a Mad Scene. This is, of course, debatable. But, still, he may have been in better voice in the 60's and around the time of this performance, he has not lost power but he has lost the effective way of singing a "death scene". That is about the only complaint I have of his. As for Birgit Nilsson, she is in her element here. Isolde was her debut role at the Met, at least 12 years earlier. She may have lost the ability to sing with some lyric beauty but she is still a powerful singer, her high register is electrifying, and she maintains excess within control. That final Liebestod is probably the best she ever sang in her career (unless I'm wrong I was never around to hear her sing all of her Isoldes). She is singing with more pianissimi and lyricism than she usually does, toning down the "Valkyrie" power of her voice to sound hauntingly beautiful and "transfigured". The result: it is us, the audience, who are transfigured by hearing her sing. Perhaps the only downside is too much control that she looks too cool and passive, lacking dramatic passion. Compare her to Vickers and you'll note how Vickers sings Tristan far more passionately and Nilsson's Isolde is very tame and lackluster from a dramatic point of view. Therefore such scenes as the finale in which Isolde reunites with the dying Tristan is a disappointment. But even like this, hers is the definative Isolde too many Wagnerian opera lovers. She identifies with the role because her heritage is Nordic/Aryan, and that was what Wagner's music was all about- the honor and romance of ancient European lore. Her Germanic singing is unbeatable, her technique is supercharged, exciting and she sings a role that is quite frankly the most difficult soprano role in opera so casually that one wonders if she could sing the whole opera in the shower!! All true devotees of La Birgit will want to get this DVD. One last thing about the singers- Berngt Rundgren. I don't know who the hell he is but he's amazing. The most believable King Mark ever. Not only does he physically fit the part (his white hair, his noble demeanor, his old age) but he sings the bass parts with excellent musicianship. Further credit should go to Maestro Karl Bohm, the leading Wagnerian conductor of his time. A Bayreuth icon, he knows the music of Wagner inside and out. He brings out beautiful moments in the score, rich with dramatic expression and most importantly is able to tap into the music's mystical, spiritual nature. The only sad part of Karl Bohm's career was that he was never blessed with a first-rate orchestra that, compared to the likes of the Vienna Philharmonic, is very underpowered. But not so for this night, as it was the RTF Orchestra and it's doing a superb reading of the score.

THE DOWNSIDE:

COSTUMES AND SET DESIGN: Vickers looks nothing like Tristan should look like. The black, threadbare robe is very tight and reveals how he heavy he is (th same goes for Nilsson's wardrobe)and in Act 1 where they first meet both Nilsson and Vickers seem to be wearing what appears to be leather! It's horrible! They look like a S & M couple! Which brings me to the production itself. Pierre Jourdan did a terrible thing with this performance. At this time, his intentions were to present a modern Tristan and Isolde for the 70's, for post-modern, avant-garde theatre. But it does not truly impress. The best Tristan And Isoldes are the ones performed the way Wagner wanted: this is an Arthurian romance, a tragedy taking place in Irish-Celtic/Medieval times. So dont' expect to see armor, medieval attire, swords, horses, knights, flags, ships with sails, torches and grail cups. Instead we have a highly minimalist production. The torch used before the Love Duet which enables the lovers to find each other in the darkness is not used. We do get a lot of darkness, though. When we are not getting pitch-black darkness, we get subtle lighting (blue, yellow, white) at one point they light up around the stage like one huge star. This, however, makes it look like this opera is taking place in outer space (and this concept is enforced by the Barbarella-ish costumes Tristan and Isolde wear!!). There is an overuse of staircases. I didn't understand why that was. Is it symbolic of something ? Is it representative of the upward and downward spirals of Tristan and Isolde's love affair ? Very needless, though, as story-wise we should see for ourselves how their tragedy has a heavy cost- the loss of innocence and betrayal of the long friendship between King Mark and his best knight Tristan. The lights that are up from a distance resemble stadium lights, as if this was not the Theater Antique D'Orange but Yankee Stadium. I rather like that particular touch because in the closing Liebestod scene, Nilsson appears divinely beautiful and sings the aria as if it were some kind of national anthem.

All devotees of tenor Jon Vickers and the late soprano Birgit Nilsson (who died on December 25th, 2005) will want to own this DVD of a taped performance in the Theater Antique D'Orange, France, in 1973. While enough has been said about the bad camerawork (a shaky camera,a blurry, hazy picture and bad accoustics that don't allow you to hear the singers very well) not enough is said of the good portions of the performance. To see Birgit Nilsson as Isolde is a treasure, as this was one of her greatest roles, the role which she debuted at the Metropolitan Opera. She is still in phenomenal voice in this performance, though it's obvious she had sung Isolde far too many times. She recorded the role twice- her earliest with Solti and her later one with Bohm. She has a thrilling high register, a commanding, regal presence, and lungs of steel. She could sing Isolde in her sleep, and that's an amazing act worthy of Guiness World Records as the role of Isolde presents so much vocal demands that are too much for many sopranos today.

When one hears Birgit Nilsson, one is hearing a lost form of Wagnerian singing. Her Swedish background, Germanic phrasing and soaring voice made her the equal if not better than Kirsten Flagstad. Likewise Jon Vickers is a superb Tristan, with a heroic, booming voice and warrior-like demeanor. Vickers pulls out all the stops on this one and even sounds melancholy and resigned to his fate. One can no longer see the valiant hero in him when King Mark discovers his betrayal. Vickers and Nilsson sing with golden, radiant voices, and their Love Night duet is heaven to hear. Ruth Hesse is the dramatic mezzo soprano who Brangaene. She is doing a terrific job, though it's a pity she was not well known. Walter Berry, on the other hand, was a well-known baritone who specialized in Mozart Strauss. His Kurwenal is well-delivered and as he also died only a few years ago, this is another document to his artistry. Bass Bengt Rundgren is a formidable King Mark. He appears God-like, noble and kingly and considering how well he treated Tristan, we feel all the more for him after the adulterious couple is caught. Stan Unruh is Melot and he is doing a fine job, too. It's great that Nilsson and Vickers are supported by a first-rate cast.


This film is also a document for Conductor Karl Bohm, largely considered one of the greatest Bayreuth conductors and Wagner specialists. I've never seen him upfront and this film allows us enough time to see how he conducted, since the Preludes Wagner wrote were usually very long. Bohm has complete control but uses subtlety and restraint, never making the score melodramatic. The minimalist stage production musth ave been quite innovative during this time. Mystic blue, white and orange lighting, two staircases, footlights that resemble stars, and pitch darkness make this a very spiritual, quasi-religious experience. The final Liebestod, performed by the unbeatable Nilsson, is a wonderful rendition, the best I've ever seen. This is a must have for all true fans of Jon Vickers and Birgit Nilsson.

Other reviewers have commented on the low audio and video quality of this recording, but maintained that the performance is worth it. I envy their tolerance. This is quite frankly the worst video recording of an opera that I've ever seen.

Where to start?

I'm prepared to accept the shortcomings of early sound recordings, or tolerate grainy videos, for a chance to hear and see the 'greats', secure in the knowledge that whoever made the recordings did so to the best of his abilities, within the limitations of the media. I'm also very appreciative of the efforts of the geniuses who can clean up an early recording, but still preserve its inherent quality.

The problem with this recording was not limitations of the media; the technology in 1973 was perfectly capable of reproducing operatic performances, as many others have demonstrated. The problem lies in the complete ineptitude of those who produced the recording, and the fact that Kultur seem to have made no attempt to improve matters.

Here are the sort of things which finally made me give up:

Severe clipping of audio frequencies in the higher register, accompanied by blurring on the louder notes - an effect similar to the onset of deafness.
Camera quality reminiscent of a bootleg copy - hand-held, shaky telephoto shots, taken from much too far away, and usually pointing in the wrong direction.
No adjustment for the speed of sound, so everyone was out of synch. This is pretty basic stuff, guys....
A very poor video transfer, with vertical lines marring most of the shots, occasional flashes of light and abrupt changes in color cast.
Occasional jump-cuts in the sound.
I'm not convinced that some of the shots of the conductor actually matched the soundtrack.
Oh yes, and the titles were crooked.

How on earth did Kultur allow this train-wreck to be released?

Given my love for Wagner's operas, and respect for the magnificent Ms Nilsson, I'm ashamed to admit that, having managed to put up with the first thirty minutes, in the hope that I'd be able to immerse myself in the performance, I eventually resorted to fast-forwarding to the major arias. This is a dreadful admission! In my defence, I can only suggest that you rent the recording and see for yourself, before passing judgement.

The true power of this drama comes to life with one of the truly great performances of this masterwork. Birgit Nilsson is very powerful and her acting convincing. Her voice is angelic in tone and her phrasing is as close to the score as it can be. Jon Vickers delivers an equally strong and convincing Tristan. Powerful and passionate... This is a wonderful performance. There are a few moments that are absolute magic (Isolde's aria in act 2 before after putting the torch out... The wind is blowing her dress back as she belts out the most powerful notes you will ever hear... It looks like she is flying). The production is sparse, as are most Tristan und Isolda productions, but it is crisp in its dramatic effect and at no point distracts or hurts the stage action of the drama. Karl Bohm, a great Wagner conductor, delivers a wonderful reading of a very difficult score with well articulated (and not over emoted) dynamics, balance and tempi. And now... The flaws: Without a doubt, one of the worst post 1940 sound recordings I have heard (at least the 1st act). The sound is not always in sync with the stage action and the overall tone is very dull. I tried to enhance the sound with EQ and an array of stereo effects with no luck. There are even a few brief moments in which the singer sounds like they are singing a duet with themselves in act 1! As if the sound from the off-sync video comes through in time with the off-sync sound. There are innumerable little sounds (pops, skips, bumps, etc) that cover the entire work and can be, at times, quite irritating (see 0:50:00 - 1:20:00 of disk one. There is a continuous bumping sound that goes on for over 30 minutes!) There are also moments when the levels abruptly shift when there is a camera change. And as long as we are on the subject of camera changes... The video production (1973) has the quality of early 1950s television (only in very dull color). On the back of the DVD is states, and I quote: "... has been restored and digitally re-mastered". Physically impossible! Unless the original, non-re-mastered version had no sound or video at all, in which case they did an all right job. Let's just say that the only good thing about this DVD is the performance, which is of a very high level. Some of these problems seem to go away in act 2 and by act 3 the quality is even better (thank God (Wagner) for that!). As another silly side note: My Disk 1 was actually Disk 2 and visa versa... I used a marker to fix the discrepancy. Whoever put this thing together must have been asleep or drunk throughout the production process! If this is your first DVD of this opera I would strongly recommend a different version. If you own another version of the work and are a seasoned listener I recommend it as an great addition to your collection. The rewards far outweigh the flaws, once you get passed them. By the end of the first act I was settled in and by the end of the opera I was blown away. I enjoyed the entire thing for what it is. It's a great buy.

I've read the other reviewers' criticisms of the sound and video but nevertheless found myself completely absorbed in and moved by the extraordinarily powerful presence of Vickers and Nilsson. They are such titanic performers that the visual and audio disadvantages - it was after all filmed outdoors in 1973 - seemed comparatively insignificant. Jon Vickers' tortured expressions are grand tragedy incarnate; the facial features of the performers are so strong and their virtuosity so great that (on my stereo tv) I find myself watching this again and again. To me it looks and sounds fine.

I agree with all other reviewers about the sound & camera work, but discounting that you still get 2 great performances vocally & theatrically. To me she is the greatest Isolde of the 20th Century. I had always thought it was Flagstad until I saw my first Nilsson 'Isolde'at the Metropolitan Opera, her first performance of it there. This DVD is well worth owning for the performances & the glorious singing by Nilsson & Vickers which is the most important quality of a VHS, DVD or CD.
I am not waiting for the Eaglen 'Isolde' as I have found her 'Isolde' has no warmth, fire or passion & therefore very boring.

I am afraid that many people contemplating the purchase of this DVD will look at the one, two and three-star reviews and pass. That is a shame.
I own eight CDs of this Wagner masterpiece and three DVDs. While I would not make this your only exposure to TRISTAN, I would make it an essential one.
Yes, the sound quality is poor. Yes, the production is rather abyssmal. Yes, the camera work has much, much to be desired.
BUT, you get Birgit Nilsson and Jon Vickers in roles in which they excelled. Wagnerians will know what I mean. And while the production in itself has too much of the traces of Wieland Wagner for my taste, one soon forgets this as the music tranports you into the heart of the drama.
Giving this DVD less than the five stars that it deserves for its historical value alone is like criticizing any performance by a great actor or actress because of the failure of the lighting tecyhnician.