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Friday, January 31, 1997

OPERA:

Los Angeles Opera's rendition of Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde' is not to be missedBy John Mangum

Daily Bruin Contributor

Any production of a work by Richard Wagner is an event not to be missed, because you may not be able to experience it again in the near future.

It's been almost 10 years since the Los Angeles Music Center Opera first staged Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde," and only two other companies in the United States have presented the work since.

And locally based British artist David Hockney's production, which the Los Angeles Opera revives for a run through Feb. 18, isn't just any production ­ it's a production of "Tristan" about which people will reminisce decades from now, inspiring jealousy and regret in those who never saw it.

Hockney's conception of the opera is very much grounded in visual art. His sets are vivid and colorful, decorated with detailed Celtic designs.

Within this setting, the figures on stage move from pose to pose. Each time they shift, they settle into an artistic composition framed by the proscenium. These staged paintings prove to be powerful evocations of the sensual fantasy world in which Wagner set his tale of ill-fated love.

The fairly simple story presents three main events, one for each act. Isolde and Tristan don't get along. In Act 1, Isolde's lady-in-waiting Brangäne thinks she'll be doing the pair a favor by replacing the poison they're about to drink with a love potion. The two drink it and fall madly in love.

But Tristan has won Isolde not for himself, but for his uncle, King Marke. In Act 2, King Marke catches the two in the throes of passion and Tristan is wounded during the ensuing confrontation with Melot, the man who betrays Tristan to Marke.

Tristan leaves, retreating to a cold, dark rock high above the sea to wait for Isolde. When she arrives, he dies and, as Isolde sings her famous "Liebestod," she collapses, joining her beloved in death.

Hockney not only designed but also directed the production, recognizing the noble pace of Wagner's drama. But there is much more to the evening than the triumph of the revival of the artist's production.

The Los Angeles Opera assembled a cast boasting one of the world's most sought-after Heldentenors (a specific kind of tenor that Wagner wanted to sing his demanding roles) as Tristan and a truly moving, amazing Isolde.

Siegfried Jerusalem performed Tristan in a staged production for the first time in the United States on Wednesday night. He first appeared in the role at Bayreuth (the Wagner fan's pilgrimage site) in 1993, and his stage experience is obvious in his current appearance.

Jerusalem compensates for what his voice lacks in color and warmth by paying careful attention to words and by pacing himself. By doing this, he brings heroic, ringing tones to the moment leading up to Isolde's arrival in Act 3.

Renate Behle makes her Los Angeles Opera debut as Isolde, a role she assumed for the first time Wednesday night, and her singing is nothing short of miraculous. She is in complete control of her voice, riding the waves of sound coming from the orchestra with conviction, vengeance, ecstasy ­ whatever the situation requires.

Moments like the curse in Act 1, with Behle's voice lashing out at Tristan, and her chilling treatment of the word "ungeliebt" ("unloved") in the ensuing passage with a bleached, hollow tone, pack a tremendous emotional punch. Her soaring rendition of "Liebestod" is enough to leave anyone drained, and it brings an evening of highly emotional drama to a magnificent conclusion.

Sir Donald McIntyre's performance as King Marke stands out among the remaining cast's contributions. His is the most moving piece of acting turned in by any member of the cast.

A regal costume, complete with a crown, complements McIntyre's natural physical presence, allowing the singer to create a King Marke of tragic dimensions. Thirty years of singing Wagner don't seem to have diminished the scope of his voice, which proves to be a powerful instrument on this occasion.

Among the rest of the cast, Jane Henschel brings the requisite vocal heft to the role of Brangäne, her voice acquiring a wide vibrato anytime she sings loudly. In many passages, this adds to the drama but there are moments (for example, her interruption of Tristan and Isolde's serene love duet in Act 2) where it distracts from the mood.

Baritone Jorma Hynninen turns in an accomplished performance as Tristan's sidekick Kurwenal, especially sympathetic as he watches his friend die over the course of Act 3. Jonathan Mack, Malcom Mackenzie and Timothy Mussard (chair of the UCLA music department's vocal division) round out the excellent cast as both a sailor and a shepherd, the steersman, and Melot, respectively.

The Los Angeles Opera Orchestra brings sumptuous tone and sturdy playing to Wagner's score, doing justice to conductor Richard Armstrong's worthy view of the work. Concertmaster Sidney Weiss and principal English horn Earle Dumler provide especially brilliant solos over the course of the evening.

Production, singers and orchestra combine to give a performance that is sure to enter the world of operatic lore as one of the great productions of this Wagner masterpiece.

OPERA: The Los Angeles Opera presents Richard Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" Feb. 1 at 12:30 p.m., Feb. 4, 7, 12, 15 and 18 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $23-130. $15 student and senior rush tickets one hour before curtain. For more info, call (213) 972-0777.

Los Angeles Opera

(l.-r.): Jane Henschel, Renate Behle, Siegfried Jerusalem and Jorma Hynninen in the Los Angeles Opera's revival of David Hockney's production of "Tristan und Isolde," by Wagner.