Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde – best recordings

Tristan und Isolde was the first complete opera by Richard Wagner whose CD I acquired (the Böhm recording on DGG). I know it’s not the easiest starting point, but I found my way into his music through it, and since then, I’ve become a huge fan of the composer. I’m always amazed by the four hours of consistent, chromatic musical flow that sweeps you away, even though—from a dramatic point of view—it’s a very simple story.

As I said, the story isn’t really thrilling—just a love affair stretched across four hours of music. Okay, it’s a bit more than that, loaded with symbolism (like the love potion). But ultimately, that’s not what it’s about. Wagner musically depicts the full emotional spectrum of the affair: commencing with the denial of the obvious (Act 1), the revelation of the potion (at the end of Act 1), and the intense passion of the love duet in Act 2. This leads to the consequences (King Marke discovering the affair) and into Act 3, featuring a suffering Tristan (whose agony stems less from his physical wounds than from the realization that his love for Isolde is impossible). It culminates in a tragic finale where several characters meet their end, and how love transcends it all in the end (Isolde’s Liebestod). Musically, it’s hard to single out a specific highlight, because in my view, you have to experience the whole. Take the love duet in Act 2 or the beginning of Act 3, but if you have to choose one moment, though, it’s certainly the Liebestod at the end.

Since the orchestra is always a massive presence (and plays a crucial role), the singers must be powerful and able to sustain the vocal lines. The role of Tristan is especially renowned for its difficulty; many tenors end up vocally strained by the third act or hold back too much beforehand to conserve their stamina. Roles like Isolde, Kurwenal, or Marke don’t quite face that exact same kind of trap.

So, which recording would I recommend? Probably Böhm’s official Bayreuth, as it has the right balance between speed and slowness, transparency and vividness. The singers manage their roles really well—not too histrionic, but present just as they need to be (Nilsson is, of course, amazing).

Recording	Artists	What I like	What I don’t like	So/So	Quality
Böhm, Karl (1966)	Tristan: Windgassen, Wolfgang Isolde: Nilsson, Birgit Kurwenal: Wächter, Eberhard Brangäne: Ludwig, Christa Marke: Talvela, Martti	Transparent, vivid conducting by Böhm Very well sung by all protagonists	Nothing	Nothing	***** (live stereo)