From: smitra@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (Sami Mitra)
Subject: Re: The best Tristan und Isolde
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 15:49:34 GMT

In article <BxMGF1.F59@news.udel.edu> conrad@brahms.udel.edu (Jon Conrad) writes:
>In article <BxMBEp.6pM@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> smitra@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (Sami Mitra) writes:
>
>
>>	Alas, if only the sound were better on the 36/37 Beecham/Reiner
>>recording. This then would be my clear first choice. The voices of the
>>legends are caught pretty well though. The orchestral moments have to
>>sometimes be aided by your imagination!
>
>Try to get a Flagstad/Melchior TRISTAN if you can; THAT's how the music
>should be sung.  I have the one the Met put out in the 70s, though I
>understand there are better performances available.
>


This recording, which I referred to with the dual dates and composers 
because it is one ( because of a unique botch-job my HMV) with such
characteristics, is a Flagstad/Melchior Tristan. It is because of that
that I said it would have been a clear first choice of mine. And also
because of Beecham's conducting. The reason I would not recommend it 
as someone's only Tristan is because of the insufficient sound quality.
However since the voices are rather well caught, the orchestra is not,
I would urge people who already have one of the more modern recordings
to invest in this one if they feel the wish to have more than one.

This recording also has some, then standard, now terrible, cuts. What
really bugs me is that Tristan's delirious ranting has a big cut.
Melchior was really in the full swing of things that night, as always.
What a pity!



>>	Finally, if you were to have a Tristan recorded today ...
>>  by let's say
>>... Levine or Sinopoli...who would you want your lead singers to be?	
>
>No Sinopoli for me here, please.  Levine conceivably, though I'd prefer
>Kleiber again, or maybe Abbado.  For years Solti was wanting to do it
>with Jessye Norman and Placido Domingo, but now it looks like that won't
>happen because Jessye has opted out.  I guess I would like to have
>Domingo (if he'll really settle down and *learn* it), odd German and
>all, just because I want to hear it sound beautiful once in my lifetime,
>and his voice now sits in the right tessitura for it.  For Isolde, I
>nominate Nadine Secunde, who will undertake it for the first time in
>1994, and who I predict will be spectacular in the part.  For Brangaene,
>I would love to hear how it sounds with a high soprano, as Wagner wanted
>(his first B. also sang Queen of the Night!), and so I nominate the
>inevitable Cheryl Studer (she'll never be an Isolde herself).  For
>Kurwenal we need a good solid high baritone, for which I suggest a
>Thomas: Hampson or Allen.  And I can't think of a better Marke than Kurt
>Moll.  
>


Jon, where can I hear Secunde? I have heard wonderful things about her.
I wish someone would make a recording with her, and get on with it. Or 
maybe a Met broadcast. I agree with all your choices, but would like to 
add two more names to the wish-list. Though, Siegfried Jerusalem says he
doesn't really want to I wish he would sing Tristan before his voice goes
the way of Peter Hofmann. He has been the most impressive Siegfried and
Parsifal of late.
 	And how about Jessye Norman? She was rather impressive in a 
live performance of the Liebestod with Mehta a couple of years ago in
a NYPO concert. And she does have the voice.

						
						Sami Mitra
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical