Germany Wagner, Tristan und Isolde: Soloists, Chorus and Extras of Theater Lübeck, Philharmonic Orchestra of Hansestadt Lübeck / Stefan Vladar (conductor). Theater Lübeck, 2.2.2025. (DM-D)
Production:
Director – Stephen Lawless
Set and Costume design – Frank Philip Schlössmann
Lighting design – Frank Hampel
Video – Andreas Beer
Chorus director – Jan-Michael Krüger
Dramaturgy – Sören Sarbeck
Cast:
Tristan – Ric Furman
Isolde – Lena Kutzner
Kurwenal – Steffen Kubach
King Marke – Rúni Brattaberg
Brangäne – Marlene Lichtenberg
Melot / A Shepherd / Young Sailor – Noah Schaul
Helmsman – Viktor Aksentijević
Two veteran freelancers, director Stephen Lawless and set and costume designer Frank Philip Schlössmann, collaborated as guest artists with the lead singers (also guest artists) and regular company members on this long-awaited new production of Tristan und Isolde in Lübeck. There were several debuts, for Ric Furman as Tristan, for Lena Kutzner as Isolde, for Noah Schaul as Melot, Shepherd and Young Sailor, as well as for the theatre’s General Music Director Stefan Vladar as conductor. They must have been nervous but it didn’t show, at least not until the joyous relief at the curtain call to standing ovations as the audience literally jumped to their feet after the final chords. For a smallish municipal theatre as is the one in Lübeck, mounting a Wagner production is a major endeavour, and the risks in assembling a team and cast for such a demanding work are considerable. Here, the effort paid off on a large scale.
Lawless and Schlössmann brought the plot to a large hold of a ship, with bulls’ eyes at the higher level and a staircase leading down to the ground from a door quite high up. Striking about this inner space, with rounded walls suggesting the shape of a ship. From the top of the ship’s frame to the floor and extending on the floor there was a gap that had the zigzag shape of a lightning stroke. One area was that of Isolde and Brangäne, the other that of Tristan and Kurwenal, with an armchair on each side. The space was predominantly lit with harsh light, emphasising the grey of the walls, but for the love duet in Act II, for example, the space was cast in warm red light. The gap, which initially could not be stepped across, closed for the union of Tristan and Isolde and separated again when they parted. When Marke discovered the lovers, he appeared from the middle of the newly formed gap. The story was thus told in a simple but poignant way.
The love potion brought about states of rapture in Tristan and Isolde, but isolated, each predominantly for him- or herself, not so much as unmediated togetherness. They stood together while drinking the potion, but then, as the potion took its effect, each ran off to their respective area and sank into their respective armchairs. During the love duet there was much movement of seeking to come together and never quite succeeding, always interrupted by countermovement away from each other. The subtleties of these encounters were well worked out, and equally subtle was Kurwenal’s unjudgmental incomprehension as to Tristan’s totally unexpected behaviour – he simply could not understand why Tristan would behave so strangely.
The debuts were very successful indeed. Ric Furman as Tristan impressed with a clean, radiant, focused sound. His vocal strength was considerable, not surprising if you listen to the cries of ‘Wälse!’ from Die Walküre on his website. Stamina and volume were similar to those of a young Andreas Schager, while not neglecting, indeed equally excelling at more gentle, soft, lyrical material, such as the love duet. Lena Kutzner was clearly aware of the placement and use of her voice, and breath, for every single moment of the evening. This allowed for an even presentation from beginning to end, with ringing top notes and a firm foundation in the lower register. The voice was mellow, without the sharp edges frequently heard from other good singers of this part, but well rounded, golden rather than silvery, at ease even in the most dramatic moments. Noah Schaul’s triple debut was also a success: his voice was bright and clear, and he managed to provide the three different parts (Melot, A Shepherd, Young Sailor) with different shades of singing. Long-standing company member Steffen Kubach was a very convincing Kurwenal. He sang the role very melodically, without the need to resort to shouting – in line with the role’s conception as an empathetic loyal companion rather than the macho character we get in some productions.
Guest artist Marlene Lichtenberg (Brangäne) had sung with the Lübeck company before; her voice was very beautiful, particularly in the lower register. Rúni Brattaberg had been a company member for some previous years. He was announced as having noticed unexpected problems with his voice while warming up; while he clearly struggled, and looked uncomfortable and apologetic because of it, in the few moments when his ‘real’ voice came through, it was obvious what a fine reading of King Marke we missed.
While Christian Thielemann’s rendering of the score excels through the finely chiselled detail, with many moments you think you have never heard before, conductor Stefan Vladar stood out to me for the awareness of, and bringing out, the flow of the music overall, the arcs, the high and low tides, the broad rhythm rather than the minute detail. Conducted in this way, the waves intermittently projected onto the walls of the ship became even more meaningful.
Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe
This production seemed incredible to me. I haven’t seen Tristan that many times, but what I saw and heard was great.
As for singing, my close friend, Ric Furman sounded wonderful. Let’s face it, as of now, I don’t think there are a lot of heldentenors like Ric Furman in the world.
And here I am living all the way out in Arizona!