Jonas Kaufmann confirms his Tristan role debut
NewsThe leading tenor will sing his first Tristan on June 29 in Munich.
Anja Harteros, also on debut, sings Isolde in a new production by Krzysztof Warlikowski.
Kirill Petrenko conducts.
Comments
MOST READ TODAY:
-
Opera
Opera singers ‘face a mental health crisis’
Singers’ agents tell us of a tsunami of…
-
RIP
Sudden death of young tenor
Colleagues are mourning the sudden death of the…
-
Orchestras
Rattle welcomes new principal cello
The young German musician Till Schuler has won…
-
RIP
Concertmaster dies, 44
The Finnish music world is in mourning for…
Word is out that he is having conducting lessons.
He got through Korngold’s Paul, so Tristan should be a sea breeze. (But if last night is anything to go by, the house will be just 25% occupied!)
Now that’s a show.
Having heard him sing Tristan Act II in Boston, I’m not sure this is such a good idea. I hope I’m wrong.
Tristan is not a barking role, as some Tenors may think…..
Most tenors who take up singing Tristan end up barking their way through their declining career. I rather like the Rudolf Bing plan: A fresh tenor for each act.
I wouldn’t take Boston as an indication. He appeared to be sight-reading it.
I wonder if he will need a headset microphone as with the 2012 La Scala Lohengrin
Warlikowski will want to make sure that there aren’t any rich gay people lowering the tone on the opening night.
With Netrebko as Isolde, correct?
Er, no.
The 2021/22 T & I are Skelton and Stemme conducted by Koenigs so these festival performances seem to be a 1 off. And no streaming at present so we’ll have to rely on those lucky enough to have got tickets in the lottery for eord of mouth. Whatever, this will be something special. With all that that implies.
Skelton and Stemme? at Munich? the battleship production? that wasn’t Warlikowski.
If there will be a stream: yes, as all singers get for streams.
Would have thought there was plenty for him to sing without risking his voice on this role.
Judging by his Otello he knows perfectly well how to protect his voice. He just holds back where a Heldentenor would let rip.
I cannot comment on the tenor voice and its technicalities. But I have admired Kaufmann since I fist heard him years ago. I think it was La Rondine Anyway, the brilliant lyric voice dominated. But since then I have heard him many times, but recently his underpowered Otello ( the esultate was barely audible) and have to wonder if Tristan is not a step too far.
Tell me otherwise, you SD experts.
The man has a superb instrument, but is he using it to the best advantage?
It is his innate musicality which gets him through roles his voice is not suitable for. He was once a promising lyrical tenor but instead of developing his voice along those lines he resorted to tricks like artificial darkening which is why he sounds so throaty and underpowered in dramatic roles. Unfortunately he has missed discovering his authentic voice.
I think that was the stage director. She had reversed the usual characterisations. You don’t walk into a bedroom and bellow “Esultate!” fortissimo to your wife (who’s just been emoting all over the set because of the terrible storm we are led to believe is raging). Particularly when you’re barely on speaking terms.
There is not that much to hold back.
T’will be Ben Heppner Jr. once the IV drip is in, it’s like heroin to a tenor and very shortly thereafter they are off the stage.
Shall I be the little boy who tells the emperor he has no clothes? Kaufmann is a fake singer who sings ingolata.
He always sings well with Harteros.