Album

This classic performance of Tristan und Isolde from the 1952 Bayreuth Festival has seen a number of incarnations on CD. That's not surprising, given the sound quality, which is unusually clean, full, and well-balanced for a live recording of that era, the high standard of the orchestral playing, and the star turns from the principals. Herbert von Karajan leads a performance that avoids extremes and interpretive idiosyncrasies, but which is exceptionally supple, sensitive to the singers, and surgingly urgent. All the singers perform with consummate skill and commitment; this is clearly an ensemble fully at ease with the opera's fearsome demands. Martha Mödl's Isolde is womanly and passionate; she fully throws herself into the role and persuasively conveys Isolde's transformation from furious adversary to tender lover. Her tone is full and earthy, but can also be meltingly warm and intimate. She has the solidity to make the low-lying parts of the role powerfully menacing, and the lightness to soar when Isolde's passion has been awakened, and she colors her voice with wonderful subtlety. Ramón Vinay was one of the few effective non-German Wagnerian tenors of his generation, and the Latinate quality of his ample voice and delivery make him a touchingly human Tristan. He has plenty of power, even through the grueling third act, and he comes across as genuinely heroic. As King Marke, Ludwig Weber is appropriately somber but fails to bring his monologue to life. Hans Hotter's Kurvenal is blustery and mature-sounding in the first act and gently supportive in the third, but his voice tends to be somewhat stiff. Ira Malaniuk makes a very fine Brangäne, although she is nearly overpowered by Mödl's charismatic Isolde. As noted, the recorded sound is good, apart from a normal amount of stage noises and the prompter's voice in some very quiet passages. This strong performance should be of interest to any fans of the opera.

© Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 4
Richard Wagner Composer Tristan und Isolde (opera), WWV 90...Act 1 Work 1:21:25 Martha Mödl Soprano, Werner Faulhaber Voice, Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Ira Malaniuk Voice, Gerhard Unger Voice, Hans Hotter Bass-baritone, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra Orchestra, Ramón Vinay Voice, Gerhard Stolze Voice, Hermann Uhde Voice, Ludwig Weber Voice, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus Chorus/Choir
1	1.Sc.1: Prelude	11:19			Album Only
2	2.Sc.1: Westwärte schweift der Blick; 3.Sc.1: Brangäne, du? Sag; 4.Sc.1: O weh! Ach! Ach, des Übels	6:00			$0.99
3	5.Sc.2: Frisch weht dir Wind; 6.Sc.2: Mir erkoren, mir verloren; 7.Sc.2: Hab acht, Tristan!; 8.Sc.2: Darf ich die Antwort sagen?; 9.Sc.3: Weh, ach wehe! Dies zu dulden!	11:34			Album Only
4	10.Sc.3: Wie lachend sie mir Lieder singen; 11.Sc.3: Von seinem Lager blickt' er her; 12.Sc.3: O Wunder! Wo hatt' ich	17:27			Album Only
5	16.Sc.3: Kennst du der Mutter; 17.Sc.4: Auf! Auf! Ihr Frauen!	9:29			$0.99
6	21.Sc.5: Begehrt, Herrin, was ihr wünscht; 22.Sc.5: Da du so sittsam; 23.Sc.5: Nun will ich des Eides walten	7:21			$0.99

CD 2 of 4
1	24.Sc.5: War Morold dir so wert; 25.Sc.5: Ho! He! Ha! He! Am Obermast; 26.Sc.5: Du hörst den Ruf?; 27.Sc.5: Auf das Tau! Anker los!; 28.Sc.5: Tristan! Isolde!; 29.Sc.5: Was träumte mir von Tristans Ehre?; 30.Sc.5: Schnell, den Mantel, den Königsschmuck!	18:15			Album Only
Richard Wagner Composer Tristan und Isolde (opera), WWV 90...Act 2 Work 1:15:00 Werner Faulhaber Voice, Martha Mödl Soprano, Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Ira Malaniuk Voice, Gerhard Unger Voice, Hans Hotter Bass-baritone, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra Orchestra, Ramón Vinay Voice, Gerhard Stolze Voice, Hermann Uhde Voice, Ludwig Weber Voice, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus Chorus/Choir
2	1.Sc.1: Prelude	2:20			$0.99
3	2.Sc.1: Hörst du sie noch?; 3.Sc.1: Der deiner harrt; 4.Sc.1: O laß die warnende Zünde; 5.Sc.1: Und mußte der Minne	11:05			Album Only
4	6.Sc.2: Isolde! Geliebte! Tristan!; 7.Sc.2: Wie lange fern! Wie fern so lang!; 8.Sc.2: Das Licht! Das Licht!; 9.Sc.2: Der Tag! Der Tag; 10.Sc.2: O eitler Tagesknecht!; 11.Sc.2: In deiner Hand den süßen Tod; 12.Sc.2: Doch es rächte sich der verscheuchte Tag; 13.Sc.2: O nun waren wir Nacht-Geweihte!	16:58			Album Only
5	14.Sc.2: O sink hernieder, Nacht der Liebe; 15.Sc.2: Einsam wachend in der Nacht; 16.Sc.2: Lausch, Geliebter!; 17.Sc.2: Unsre Liebe? Tristans Liebe?	11:39			Album Only

CD 3 of 4
1	18.Sc.2: Doch unsre Liebe; 19.Sc.2: So stürben wir, um ungetrennt; 20.Sc.2: Habet acht! Habet acht!; 21.Sc.2: O ew'ge Nacht, süße Nacht!	10:02			Album Only
2	22.Sc.2: Rette dich, Tristan!	1:59			$0.99
3	23.Sc.3: Tatest du's wirklich?; 24.Sc.3: Wozu die Dienste ohne Zahl; 25.Sc.3: Dies wunderhehre Weib; 26.Sc.3: Nun, da durch solchen Besitz; 27.Sc.3: O König, das kann ich dir; 28.Sc.3: Wohin nun Tristan scheidet; 29.Sc.3: Als für ein fremdes Land; 30.Sc.3: Verräter! Ha! Zur Rache, König!	20:57			Album Only
Richard Wagner Composer Tristan und Isolde (opera), WWV 90...Act 3 Work 1:14:25 Martha Mödl Soprano, Werner Faulhaber Voice, Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Gerhard Unger Voice, Ira Malaniuk Voice, Hans Hotter Bass-baritone, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra Orchestra, Ramón Vinay Voice, Gerhard Stolze Voice, Hermann Uhde Voice, Ludwig Weber Voice, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus Chorus/Choir
4	1.Sc.1: Prelude; 2.Sc.1: Shepherd's pipe song	7:53			$0.99
5	3.Sc.1: Kurwenal! He!; 4.Sc.1: Öd' und leer das Meer!; 5.Sc.1: Wo du bist? In Frieden; 6.Sc.1: Hei nun! Wie du kamst?	10:11			Album Only
6	7.Sc.1: Wo ich erwacht; 8.Sc.1: Isolde noch im Reich der Sonne!	7:20			$0.99

CD 4 of 4
1	9.Sc.1: Noch losch das Licht; 10.Sc.1: Mein Kurwenal, du trauter Freund!; 11.Sc.1: Noch ist kein Schiff zu sehn!; 12.Sc.1: Nein! Ach nein! So heißt sie nicht!; 13.Sc.1: Der Trank! Der Trank!; 14.Sc.1: Mein Herre! Tristan!; 15.Sc.1: Das Schiff? Siehst du's noch nicht?; 16.Sc.1: Wie sie selig, hehr und milde; 17.Sc.1: O Wonne! Freude!: 18.	28:34			Album Only
2	21.Sc.2: Ich bin's, ich bin's, süßester Freund!; 22.Sc.2: Die Wunde? Wo?	5:43			$0.99
3	23.Sc.3: Kurwenal! Hör!; 24.Sc.3: Tot denn alles! Alles tot!; 25.Sc.3: Sie wacht! Sie lebt!	7:32			$0.99
4	26.Sc.3: Liebestod: Mild und leise wie er lächelt; 27.Sc.3: Heller schallend, mich umwallend	7:12			$0.99