Tristan und Isolde (1983) (TV)

Director:

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle

Writer:

Richard Wagner (libretto)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Music

Plot:

Wagner's opera in 3 acts is set in legendary Brittany and Cornwall, with a tragic love story that revolves around the themes of love...

Plot Keywords:

Cornwall | Attempted Poisoning | Brittany | Cornwall England | Death Of Loved One

Cast

René Kollo	...	Tristan
Matti Salminen	...	König Marke
Johanna Meier	...	Isolde
Hermann Becht	...	Kurwenal
Helmut Pampuch	...	Hirte
Hanna Schwarz	...	Brangäne
Robert Schunk	...	Melot / Junger Seemann
Martin Egel	...	Steuermann

Runtime:

245 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Festspiele Bayreuth

Movie Connections:

Version of Tristan und Isolde (2001) (TV)

Great opera, exceptional singing.

"aberrancy" must not have much fun watching opera videos - the idea is that singers are normally cast because of their vocal abilities, not their youth and physical beauty - especially in Wagner. Yes, Kollo and Meier were in their 40's when this was filmed (no lying about ages here). And Ms. Meier's hair really is blonde - she was famous for having long blonde hair and not wearing wigs on-stage, unlike most other opera performers. God forbid that "they both have jowls"! Justin Timberlake and Brittany Spears may be more youthful looking, but they certainly couldn't sing their way out of the proverbial paper bag when up against a full Wagnerian orchestra. A certain amount of physical heft is required in order to produce enough vocal sound to be heard over the orchestra. For the most part, Kollo and Meier are up to the daunting task of singing this music - a rarity in 1983 or any other time. BTW, Hanna Schwarz is a mezzo, and unlike some of her colleagues, she has resisted the temptation to sing soprano roles, whether or not she looks "younger". A "romanticization of adultery" is it? Well, this little tale has been told for the past 850 years, so their must be numerous people without "aberrancy's" hangups about the subject matter. Yes, Wagner always took his time in presenting his music dramas - they're called "acts" by the way, not "scenes." His shortest stage works run 2 1/2 hours, and those are the ones with only one act! 4 to 5 hours is the norm for his operas. And since Wagner died in 1883, he could not have been a "Nazi" although he did have many bigoted views. Sorry you didn't enjoy "Tristan und Isolde" which is widely held to be one of the greatest creations of Western civilization!