I have noticed none of that. The problem is in the staging. We have an opera here which is already short on action, the number of singers is limited, and the storyline is rather thin. The staging should not take such an opera totally into the abstract where only Wagner aficionados, who know the story inside and out and appreciate the nuances of the music, will enjoy the performance. You could listen for that on a good stereo.
Opera is supposedly also a visual treat.
This performance had none of the latter. The opening scene is supposedly on a boat. What you saw was a cubistic white space, constructed entirely of straight lines which suggested more a prison cell than a boat cabin fit for a princess. Tristan and his friend can be seen only as dark silhuettes against a white opening backstage. A boat has no straight lines, and the fantail of a boat has no white opening.