Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde
Depending upon how one feels about the conducting ofHerbert von Karajan, this  performance is either Karajan's poem to himself--all indulgence and smoothness  and beauty and lushness for their own sakes, with turgid tempi to match--or a  genuinely thought-provoking performance. It is undoubtedly beautiful, but in a  museum-like way. Helga Dernesch might seem uncomfortable from start to finish as  Isolde, but it would be hard to live without Jon Vickers's Tristan. The latter  is so full of conflict, desire, loyalty, joy, and despair, with Vickers using  every color in his vocal palette, that one can't help being touched--indeed,  overwhelmed--by the performance. Ludwig and Berry are good, and Ridderbusch is  fine as King Marke. The Berlin forces play rapturously. This recording, then,  really is a matter of taste.--Robert Levine