"'Tristan und Isolde' is the central work of all music history, the hub of the wheel... I have spent my life since I first read it, trying to solve it. It is incredibly prophetic." --Leonard Bernstein, 1981 Karl Böhm remarked, with regards to Bernstein's exaggeratedly slow tempi, "For the first time, someone dares to perform this music as Wagner wrote it." Böhm's own recording of the Prelude was four minutes faster. Upon completion of the project, Bernstein declared, "My life is complete... I don't care what happens after this. It is the finest thing I've ever done."
Thank you for these enlightening details! So fascinating... I knew Bernstein had a complex relationship to Wagner, quoted as having said: "I hate you, Wagner, but I hate you on my knees" but I didn't know he had the same relationship to Tristan & Isolde as Wagner himself had, considering it as the best thing he had ever done.
this is definitely too slow for acceptable consumption in the opera house, tristan is a challenge at the best of times. as an orchestral performance, it is wonderful. BTW why the massive vibrato from the celli, was this a particular orchestral sound or was it to get through the tempo?
This is the most sensual reading of the Act I Prelude I've ever heard, bar none!!!! I just absolutely love it!! Even Furtwängler sounds pedestrian in comparison (Solti in his 1960 recording is also good, superior to Böhm)!! Still, there's a LOT to learn and love
To all professionals (brass and wood preferred): Would it, in theory, be possible to keep up this level of intensity for all three acts, for the whole thing, till king Marke blesses the corpses? Seems almost impossible to me. What amazes me is that the tempo is 100 percent constant, no accelerandi underlying the dramatic crescendi and then back to a tempo, something people like Boulez do as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
To the contrary, this is the most sensual reading of the Act I Prelude I've ever heard, bar none!!!! I just absolutely love it!! Even Furtwängler sounds pedestrian in comparison (Solti in his 1960 recording is also good, superior to Böhm)!! Still, there's a LOT to learn and love - this is a recording I'd LOVE to get when possible...
With great respect, but at the beginning none of the wind entries are together. And I fear it's Lennie's fault. Everything after that I loved though. What's with the coughing though? I would have stopped the performance.
Stunning. Used in the movie "Shining Through" with Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith in the opera scene during WW2. Most moving piece of music since Bernard Hermann's theme to Vertigo.
Don't you mean that the other way around? Tristan preceded Vertigo by more than a century! But you're right that the influence of Tristan on Hermann's score is indisputable. You could almost say it's blatant!
Bernstein's recording with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra is the best!! Any chance on you posting the rest of the concert? It is my understanding that the recording was based upon 3 concerts given by Bernstein and the orchestra.
"'Tristan und Isolde' is the central work of all music history, the hub of the wheel... I have spent my life since I first read it, trying to solve it. It is incredibly prophetic." --Leonard Bernstein, 1981
Karl Böhm remarked, with regards to Bernstein's exaggeratedly slow tempi, "For the first time, someone dares to perform this music as Wagner wrote it." Böhm's own recording of the Prelude was four minutes faster.
Upon completion of the project, Bernstein declared, "My life is complete... I don't care what happens after this. It is the finest thing I've ever done."
Too slow anyway.
+Andrey Rubtsov No.
+Iván Tzintzun It's perfect. Not too slow. Just right. Played just as Wagner should be played. So that it can be appreciated for it's beauty.
Thank you for these enlightening details! So fascinating... I knew Bernstein had a complex relationship to Wagner, quoted as having said: "I hate you, Wagner, but I hate you on my knees" but I didn't know he had the same relationship to Tristan & Isolde as Wagner himself had, considering it as the best thing he had ever done.
this is definitely too slow for acceptable consumption in the opera house, tristan is a challenge at the best of times. as an orchestral performance, it is wonderful. BTW why the massive vibrato from the celli, was this a particular orchestral sound or was it to get through the tempo?
This is the most sensual reading of the Act I Prelude I've ever heard, bar none!!!! I just absolutely love it!! Even Furtwängler sounds pedestrian in comparison (Solti in his 1960 recording is also good, superior to Böhm)!! Still, there's a LOT to learn and love
My favorite Wagnerian Opera, done to perfection
thank you
Act 1 was performed #otd in 1981 🌹🌹🌹
A Tristan of unsurpassed beauty. Next to Furtwangler's rendering without the slightest doubt the greatest interpretation ever. Highly recommended!!!
But just for Bernsteins visionary conducting. The singers are definately not the best ever put on record in these roles.
Each Act were performed as separate concerts and used for Bernstein's recording of Tristan und Isolde.
To all professionals (brass and wood preferred): Would it, in theory, be possible to keep up this level of intensity for all three acts, for the whole thing, till king Marke blesses the corpses? Seems almost impossible to me. What amazes me is that the tempo is 100 percent constant, no accelerandi underlying the dramatic crescendi and then back to a tempo, something people like Boulez do as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
To the contrary, this is the most sensual reading of the Act I Prelude I've ever heard, bar none!!!! I just absolutely love it!! Even Furtwängler sounds pedestrian in comparison (Solti in his 1960 recording is also good, superior to Böhm)!! Still, there's a LOT to learn and love - this is a recording I'd LOVE to get when possible...
great. is from the complete opera performance?
With great respect, but at the beginning none of the wind entries are together. And I fear it's Lennie's fault. Everything after that I loved though. What's with the coughing though? I would have stopped the performance.
They wouldn't be together if Furtwangler were conducting either............
Magnificent.
Stunning. Used in the movie "Shining Through" with Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith in the opera scene during WW2. Most moving piece of music since Bernard Hermann's theme to Vertigo.
Don't you mean that the other way around? Tristan preceded Vertigo by more than a century! But you're right that the influence of Tristan on Hermann's score is indisputable. You could almost say it's blatant!
"A música é a voz do infinito." - Campoamor
Bernstein's recording with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra is the best!! Any chance on you posting the rest of the concert? It is my understanding that the recording was based upon 3 concerts given by Bernstein and the orchestra.
I'd love to second the request that if the uploader of this recording has the rest of it, that he/she please put it all here!!!
Furtwangler teutonico, Karajan eroico, Kleiber incantato, Bernstein sensuale. Dopo di loro (temo) l'abisso.
Concordo
Temo che Bernstein renda tutto sensuale
Einfach zu langsam, zu spannungslos!