Wagner: Tristan und Isolde – Stemme und Storey on BBC Radio 3

As Brünnhilde und Siegfried

We have only a few days left to hear the Tristan und Isolde from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra on BBC Radio 3.  The BBC SSO recorded each act separately and this is how the BBC is sharing it with us. The links for each act are below. From what I've read (and heard) so far, Acts 1 and 2 are don't-miss events. There were cast changes over the course of the performances, most notably the title characters are different in Act 3. 

So the news is Nina Stemme's Isolde. She recorded it quite a few years ago, so it's good to hear her current take on it. Tristan is Ian Storey (he'll be singing the role next season at Washington National Opera) and he is news, too. 

Gratuitous Friday – Jonas Kaufmann sings Wesendonck

So here is this song cycle for female voice and piano, sung by a tenor with full orchestra. Wagner composed this cycle while he was working on Tristan und Isolde, and referred to the third song, Im Treibhaus (In the Hothouse), as a study for the opera. This song has musical material that was later developed into the Prelude to Act 3 of Tristan.

There are more than a few acclaimed recordings by mezzos and dramatic sopranos (Christa Ludwig and Jessye Norman, to name two.) Though the poetry is by a woman, the texts are not gender-specific. A few tenors have performed individual songs but rarely has any tenor performed the full cycle.