Monday 5 May 2008

Not all cancellations are bad news: Waltraud Meier to appear as Isolde in Berlin next week

Earlier it was announced that Ian Storey is to replace Peter Seiffert in the upcoming Tristan and Isolde at the Berlin State Opera.

Today another cancellation was announced as Waltraud Meier replaces Katarina Dalayman as Isolde. No disrespect towards Katarina Dalayman whose Isolde I was quite curious to hear, having accepted that Daniel Barenboim initially chose to cast this Tristan with his upcoming Metropolitan Opera debut Tristan and Isolde pair Katarina Dalayman and Peter Seiffert (now: Ian Storey and Waltraud Meier as in the Chéreau La Scala Tristan earlier this season).

But I´d be lying if I said I was disappointed by this last cast change, which is almost too good to be true: I almost didn´t buy a ticket for this sold-out performance since Waltraud Meier wasn´t singing Isolde....

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh drop it, I could hang myself for my own folly for not buying the ticket. I still cannot forgive myself for the mistake I committed. Mending my wound and my pride sulkily right now. Luck wasn't with me. It is a fate worse than death.

Anonymous said...

It is always a pleasure to read your blog, but today you have made us very happy with this new. Meier IS Isolde, and we are going to be there. Thank you.

Carlos said...

What a nice surprise with the cast change for Isolde!

Anonymous said...

Yesterday was a terrific resp. stellar Tristan performance with an additional cast change. Bass Fischesser had been taken ill in the morning. So Matti Salminen was asked in Zurich high noon. And he was a marvellous replacement.

In toto it was a great and remarkable performance. After 15 minutes "start problems" Waltraud Meier had one of her better days. Very impressive her acting and her Liebestod. Ian Storey was better than in Milano and is now one of the leading interpreter of the Tristan role wihout any vibrato, tremolo or difficulties over the whole evening. It was a great pleasure to see and listen to this real "Mannsbild"...
Trekel and Schuster were good but not with ease in singing...
Salminen impressed with his body size and darkness in voice, but of course his 63 years are listenable in phrasing in meantime - nevertheless he was one of the stars of this evening.
Including Barenboim and his Staatskapelle played a magic Tristan - full of extacy and love.
For this single performance the old Tristan production by Harry Kupfer was used - so more intensive body contact was possible...enjoying the public.
Orgastic applause and bravi for the artists at the final curtain.

operahound said...

I was there as well and actually saw Barenboim 3 times that weekend.The real stars were him and the Staatskapelle.Disappointed in Meier as I was led to believe she was something special but her performance was merely good(Brangane's voice was a lot better in my view),more than once I couldn't hear Meier but possibly that was where I was sitting.

The staging was insipid and done nothing for the opera as regards setting or contributing to the atmosphere.But it was superb all in even though I had the misfortune to be sitting beside the opera goer from hell who continually fidgeted and blocked my view.

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