Tristan Convalescent

Opéra-Liège's first staging in decades takes Wagner's masterpiece to a sanatorium

This is an edited version of the original English review which appears on Oper! Magazin’s website in Jan Geisbusch’s German translation, republished here by kind permission of the editor, Dr. Ulrich Ruhnke

Night of Love: Lianna Haroutounian (Isolde), Michael Weinius (Tristan) Picture © J. Berger/ORW-Liège

Under the artistic direction of Stefano Pace and his music director, Giampolo Bisanti, the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège is undertaking an ambitious renewal of its repertoire. This new production of Tristan und Isolde, for example, is the Belgian city’s first in the best part of a century, although it seems Wolfgang Sawallisch presented a guest production at the house in 1955. Pace entrusted the staging not to a controversial young lion/ess of Regietheater but to the veteran French-Italian director, Jean-Claude Berutti, known for his theatre work at the Théâtre National de Belgique and a select number of opera credits over four decades, including Charpentier’s Louise at the Monnaie in Brussels, Tannhäuser in Nancy and Von Einem’s Dantons Tod in Liège.

With designers Rudy Sabounghi (sets), Jeanny Kratochwil (costumes) Christophe Forey (lighting) and Julien Soulier (video), Berruti created a Tristan unlike any I have seen. Narrative in outline though not exactly conventional, it is set in a late 19^th/early 20^th century sanatorium, hinting at the milieu of Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain and the atmosphere of Death in Venice. The action plays in flashback with a hospitalised, wheelchair-bound Tristan (played by the actor Thierry Hellin) doubling his singing counterpart, and observing – sometimes involving himself in – the action throughout.

Death in Venice vibes: Thierry Hellin (background) with Haroutonian (Isolde) and Weinius (Tristan) in silhouette Picture © J. Berger/ORW-Liège

The use of doppelgänger in this opera may not be particularly original – think of Katharina Wagner’s multiplicity of Isoldes in Act 3 of her Bayreuth production. But in Liège, at least for the first two acts, it offers a compelling alternative scenario to Wagner’s philosophical epic of love and death. The Act 2 Liebesnacht was especially memorable for Soulier’s video projections, showing aerial footage of the grounds of the sanatorium which segued magically into a beautiful parkland backdrop, with tall poplars gently swaying in the wind for the lovers’ illicit tryst. The detail, first seen from above and then realistically embracing the action, made for a jaw-dropping visual effect, and it matched Wagner’s atmospheric evocation in the love duet. It was staged here as a ‘trio’, with the non-singing Tristan intervening to embrace Isolde, rather than his singing avatar - a directorial trick which achieved little more than to justify the use of the double.

The sanatorium parkland: aerial view (left) and backdrop (right) Urmana, Haroutounian (l), Haroutounian, Hellin, Weinius (r), Pictures © J. Berger/ORW-Liège

Given that no members of the Liège orchestra had previously played Tristan in its entirety, Bisanti’s well-paced and, for the most part, splendidly executed account of Wagner’s score earned my admiration and deserved the enthusiastic applause of a packed house. Although Wagner originally conceived Tristan as a piece calling for modest forces, with the intention of enabling smaller German houses to perform his music, the demands he placed on the singers of the title roles remain formidable, even for the world’s best endowed opera companies. Liège did well, with a mixture of experienced Wagnerians and newcomers. The Swedish tenor Michael Weinius is already a seasoned Tristan: his sturdy voice, though not as seductive as one would wish in the love duet (here performed with the standard tenor-saving cut), was tireless in the agonies of his Act 3 monologues. Weinius is certainly one of the most credible of today’s beefier candidates for this killer role.

On board Tristan’s ship: (left to right) Zwakele Tschabalala (Young Sailor), Urmana (Brangäne), Haroutounian (seated, Isolde), Hellin (Tristan double) with extras Picture © J. Berger/ORW-Liège

For Isolde, Pace and Bisanti indulged in an experiment. The Armenian soprano Lianna Haroutounian is prized internationally for her Italian repertoire: at Covent Garden, for example, she has sung Violetta (La traviata), Leonora (Il trovatore), Mimì (La bohème) and Madama Butterfly - all lyric-to- spinto roles. Making her Wagner debut as Isolde from such a background might seem reckless, but she recently sang Strauss’s Ariadne in Valencia, so clearly she has set her sights on the big German parts. In Liège’s medium-sized Théâtre-Royal, she triumphed with the public and I have to admit I was astonished by the power of her notes above the stave. In the Act 1 Narration and Curse, Haroutounian delivered fearlessly, if occasionally at the expense of accuracy of pitch. Further down the scale, her soprano lacked the colour in middle and lower registers that Isolde ideally needs, and she often had to snatch a breath before a big note, breaking up the line of the music. While Haroutounian justified the faith placed in her by Pace and Bisanti – the ovations at the end were thunderous – I think she would be unwise to attempt Isolde in a bigger house than Liège.

Despite her modest physical stature, Haroutounian dominated the stage, even next to her tall Brangäne, Violeta Urmana. Herself a former Isolde, Urmana still has potent high notes, but is weaker in the middle of the voice where so much of the music lies (Wagner designated the role as a second soprano, but it’s invariably cast with mezzos). Urmana has enough voice for character parts such as Herodias, or Janáček’s Kabanicha, but she should really drop roles like Brangäne and Waltraute (Götterdãmmerung), where cantabile singing is required.

Birger Radde’s exemplary Kurwenal (right) with Tristans II and I (Hellin, Weinius) Picture © J.Berger/ORW-Liège

The male supporting roles had the finest voices of the evening, As Kurwenal, Birger Radde’s outstanding delivery of Wagner’s text outshone most of his colleagues, understandably as the only native German-speaker in the cast. Evgeny Stavinsky was the youthful Marke – younger-looking than Tristan, which rendered his resigned Lament less than completely convincing. Alexander Marev made a decent (baritone) Melot, and Bernard Aty Monga Ngoy emerged from the chorus to sing Marke’s Steersman. Zwakele Tschabalala doubled as Young Sailor and Shepherd - the latter a role which ideally belongs to a mature tenor.

One might question elements of the musical performance and the staging, but Liège’s first Tristan in living memory was nonetheless a feather in the cap of both Pace and Bisanti.

Cast and Creatives

Tristan Michael Weinius Isolde Lianna Haroutounian Brangäne Violeta Urmana Kurwenal Birger Radde King Marke Evgeny Stavinsky Melot Alexander Marev Young Sailor/Shepherd Zwakele Tschabalala Steersman Bernard Aty Monga Ngoy Tristan Double Thierry Hellin

Orchestra and Chorus of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège (chorus master Denis Segond)

Conductor Giampaolo Bisanti Director Jean-Claude Berutti Sets Rudy Sabounghi Costumes Jeanny Kratochwil Lighting Christophe Forey Video Julien Soulier

Performance attended: February 5

website: operaliege.be