Tristan Und Isolde

Tristan Und Isolde

Depending upon how one feels about the conducting of Herbert 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. <I>--Robert Levine</I>