Carlos Kleiber, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
(Recorded 30th July, 1976, Bayreuth Festival Theatre)

Tristan — Spas Wenkoff
King Marke — Karl Ridderbusch
Isolde — Catarina Ligendza
Kurwenal — Donald McIntyre
Melot — Herbert Steinbach
Brangäne — Yvonne Minton
Shepherd — Heinz Zednik
Steersman — Heinz Feldhoff
Young Sailor — Heinz Zednik

The production was by August Everding. The stage designs were by Josef Svoboda. The costumes were by Reinhard Heinrich.

The photographs used in this video are from the production's programme booklet. The subtitled English translation is by Andrew Porter.

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Jonathan Brown in his book "Tristan und Isolde on Record" writes:

"In act three, McIntyre gives Tristan the best Kurwenal he could ever hope to have: an alert, watchful, caring, energetic, and mighty supporter. The way he responds to Tristan's disorientation ("Wie kam ich her?") with a delicate simplicity ("Hei nun, wie du kam'st?") intensifies the tragedy of the scene immeasurably. His response to Tristan is deeply moving, most of all when he whispers his desperately pitying and pathetically joyful words when he sees Tristan is still living ("Er regt sich! Er lebt! Wie sanft er die Lippen rührt!"). Wenkoff is excellent throughout his long monologues: tough, tortured, and driven by a furious longing. Kleiber never lets up, and for a dreadful moment, it sounds as if Wenkoff won't quite get to his Isolde ("Zu ihr! Zu ihr!") as he searches desperately for light. It is a magisterial performance, better than those of Suthaus and Vinay in the 1950s. Ridderbusch arrives and pours out, generously, his grief-laden warmth to all those around him. Overall, this is as good a performance from Bayreuth as one could ever hope for—except only for the wish for a darker-toned Isolde."

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0:00:00 — Prelude
0:07:12 — Scene 1: "Kurwenal! He! Sag', Kurwenal!"
0:11:30 — Scene 1: "Die alte Weise; — was weckt sie mich?"
0:17:13 — Scene 1: "Dünkt dich das? Ich weiß es anders"
0:24:45 — Scene 1: "Noch losch das Licht nicht aus"
0:29:40 — Scene 1: "Noch ist kein Schiff zu sehn!"
0:35:33 — Scene 1: "Sterbend lag ich stumm im Kahn"
0:39:32 — Scene 1: "Mein Herre! Tristan! Schrecklicher Zauber!"
0:43:37 — Scene 1: "Wie sie selig, hehr und milde"
0:49:29 — Scene 2: "O diese Sonne! Ha, dieser Tag!"
0:52:46 — Scene 2: "Ich bin's, ich bin's, süßester Freund!"
0:58:12 — Scene 3: "Kurwenal! Hör'! Ein zweites Schiff"
1:05:27 — Scene 3: "Mild und leise wie er lächelt"

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"Tristan und Isolde" ("Tristan and Isolde") is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner, with a German libretto by the composer. The libretto is based on the medieval romance "Tristan" by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was first performed at the Royal Court and National Theatre in Munich on 10th June, 1865.

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