DEBORAH VOIGT’S ISOLDE PERFORMANCES IN METROPOLITAN OPERA’S STAR-CROSSED REVIVAL OF WAGNER’S TRISTAN HIT HIGH NOTE OVER WEEKEND
PERFORMANCE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 22 – HEARD LIVE ON RADIO AND SIMULCAST TO THEATERS WORLD-WIDE IN MET’S POPULAR SERIES OF HD BROADCASTS – PROVES A SPECTACULAR SUCCESS
New York, NY, Monday, March 24, 2008 – The current run of the Metropolitan Opera’s revival of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde has already been one for the history books. The performances, which feature Deborah Voigt in her Met role debut as Isolde, have been plagued by illness and scenery malfunction, but the production miraculously came together on Saturday when opera lovers heard and saw Ms. Voigt and her latest Tristan, Robert Dean Smith – the third Tristan in four performances, following Ben Heppner’s original withdrawal from the production shortly before opening night – soar to the rarefied heights demanded by this famously taxing masterpiece. In his New York Times review today, Steve Smith captures the sense of anticipation that the singers faced when the curtain went up on March 22:
The latest chapter in the continuing saga of the Metropolitan Opera’s star-crossed Tristan und Isolde arrived on Saturday afternoon as Robert Dean Smith, an American tenor who has spent much of his recent career in Europe, became the third singer to take the role of Tristan in this run of six performances. Ben Heppner, originally scheduled for the entire run, is now listed on the Met’s website only for the final performances, on Tuesday and Friday ... Mr. Smith, unlike his predecessors, John Mac Master and Gary Lehman, faced the prospect of making his Met debut in a performance scheduled for a radio broadcast, a high-definition movie theater presentation, and a DVD release. One performance last week was interrupted by the soprano Deborah Voigt’s sudden illness. In the next, Mr. Lehman was injured by a failure in a stage mechanism. Small wonder that there was an extra frisson of tension in the air on Saturday.
Ms. Voigt responded to the pressure with a remarkable outing that, according to the Times, “set the tone for the performance with her clear, incisive, and intelligent singing.” Meanwhile, as the Times noted, “the supporting cast followed suit, and the orchestra was sumptuous.” The audience in the house, and, according to some reports, in the theaters showing the HD broadcasts, responded with a rousing ovation. An avalanche of enthusiastic fan letters immediately poured in to Ms. Voigt’s website.
Deborah Voigt’s role debut as Isolde took place in May 2003 in a widely praised production at the Vienna State Opera conducted by Christian Thielemann. The opening night performance culminated in a 22-minute standing ovation for Ms. Voigt that was reported on CNN. Deutsche Grammophon soon issued a recording of the production that was similarly acclaimed. Associated Press called her performance “a triumphant debut” that “immediately established Voigt as one of the few current singers capable of doing vocal justice to the role,” and continued: “Voigt is in command throughout the nearly four-hour-long performance. She brings a melting tone to the gentle passage that opens Act Two, nails the high Cs in the love duet that follows, and soars above the orchestra in the climactic ‘Liebestod’.”
For more on Deborah Voigt’s engagements, go to the Engagements page.
March 26th, 2008
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