Sung in German with English supertitles.
Approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes with 2 intermissions.
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Richard Wagner
Love and death are inexorably intertwined in this opera based upon an ancient Celtic legend. In this incomparable work, Wagner, through a combination of musical genius and the sheer force of his personality, shaped radical philosophical ideals about desire, sacrifice, and redemption into a groundbreaking work of art that continues to influence composers worldwide. This intense drama is sparked by a chance meeting and a powerful potion that drives a Cornish knight and an Irish princess — the wife of his mentor and king — into each other’s arms, creating a fiery love triangle that can only be fully consummated in death. The Dallas Opera has assembled an extraordinary cast for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, featuring projections by Elaine J. McCarthy, the creator of special video effects for the critically acclaimed world premiere of Moby-Dick, and the additional talents of projection designers Austin Switser and Vita Tzykun.
The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talks for Tristan & Isolde will be given by Christopher Anderson one hour before each performance in Hamon Hall at the Winspear Opera House. Learn more.
Synopsis
Act 1
Isolde, promised to King Marke in marriage, and her handmaid, Brangäne, are quartered aboard Tristan’s ship being transported to the king’s lands in Cornwall. The opera opens with the voice of a young sailor singing of a “wild Irish maid” (“West-wärts schweift der Blick”), which Isolde construes to be a mocking reference to herself. In a furious outburst, she wishes the seas to rise up and sink the ship, killing all on board (“Erwache mir wieder, kühne Gewalt”). Her scorn and rage are directed particularly at Tristan, the knight responsible for taking her to Marke, and Isolde sends Brangäne to command Tristan to appear before her (“Befehlen liess’ dem Eigenholde”). Tristan, however, refuses Brangäne’s request, claiming that his place is at the helm. His henchman, Kurwenal, answers more brusquely, saying that Isolde is in no position to command Tristan and reminds Brangäne that Isolde’s previous fiancé, Morold, was killed by Tristan (“Herr Morold zog zu Meere her”).
Brangäne returns to Isolde to relate these events, and Isolde, in what is termed the “narrative and curse,” sadly tells her of how, following the death of Morold, she happened upon a stranger who called himself Tantris. Tantris was found mortally wounded in a barge (“von einem Kahn, der klein und arm”), Isolde used her healing powers to restore him to health. She discovered during Tantris’ recovery, however, that he was actually Tristan, the murderer of her fiancé. Isolde attempted to kill the man with his own sword as he lay helpless before her. However, Tristan looked not at the sword that would kill him or the hand that wielded the sword, but into her eyes (“Er sah’ mir in die Augen’). His action pierced her heart and she was unable to slay him. Tristan was allowed to leave with the promise never to come back, but he later returned with the intention of marrying Isolde to his uncle, King Marke. Isolde, furious at Tristan’s betrayal, insists that he drink atonement to her, and from her medicine-chest produces a vial to make the drink. Brangäne is shocked to see that it is a lethal poison.
Kurwenal appears in the women’s quarters (“Auf auf! Ihr Frauen!”) and announces that the voyage is coming to an end, Isolde warns Kurwenal that she will not appear before the King if Tristan does not come before her as she had previously ordered and drink atonement to her. When Tristan arrives, Isolde reproaches him about his conduct and tells him that he owes her his life and how his actions have undermined her honor, since she blessed Morold’s weapons before battle and therefore she swore revenge. Tristan first offers his sword but Isolde refuses; they must drink atonement. Brangäne brings in the potion that will seal their pardon, Tristan knows that it may kill him, since he knows Isolde’s magic powers (“Wohl kenn’ ich Irland’s Königin”). The journey is almost at its end; Tristan drinks and Isolde takes half the potion for herself. The potion seems to work but it does not bring death but relentless love (“Tristan! Isolde!”). Kurwenal, who announces the imminent arrival on board of King Marke, interrupts their rapture. Isolde asks Brangäne which potion she prepared and Brangäne replies, as the sailors hail the arrival of King Marke, that it was not poison, but rather a love potion.
Act 2
King Marke leads a hunting party out into the night, leaving the castle empty save for Isolde and Brangäne, who stand beside a burning brazier. Isolde, listening to the hunting horns, believes several times that the hunting party is far enough away to warrant the extinguishing of the brazier - the prearranged signal for Tristan to join her (“Nicht Hörnerschall tönt so hold”). Brangäne warns Isolde that Melot, one of King Marke’s knights, has seen the amorous looks exchanged between Tristan and Isolde and suspects their passion (“Ein Einz’ger war’s, ich achtet’ es wohl”). Isolde, however, believes Melot to be Tristan’s most loyal friend, and, in a frenzy of desire, extinguishes the flames. Brangäne retires to the ramparts to keep watch as Tristan arrives.
The lovers, at last alone and freed from the constraints of courtly life, declare their passion for each other. Tristan decries the realm of daylight which is false, unreal, and keeps them apart. It is only in night, he claims, that they can truly be together and only in the long night of death can they be eternally united (“O sink’ hernieder, Nacht der Liebe”). During their long tryst, Brangäne calls a warning several times that the night is ending (“Einsam wachend in der Nacht”), but her cries fall upon deaf ears. The day breaks in on the lovers as Melot leads King Marke and his men to find Tristan and Isolde in each other’s arms. Marke is heart-broken, not only because of his nephew’s betrayal but also because Melot chose to betray his friend Tristan to Marke and because of Isolde’s betrayal as well (“Mir — dies? Dies, Tristan — mir?”).
When questioned, Tristan says he cannot answer to the King the reason of his betrayal since he would not understand, he turns to Isolde, who agrees to follow him again into the realm of night. Tristan denounces that Melot has fallen in love with Isolde too. Melot and Tristan fight, but, at the crucial moment, Tristan throws his sword aside and allows Melot to severely wound him.
Act 3
Kurwenal has brought Tristan home to his castle at Kareol in Brittany. A shepherd pipes a mournful tune and asks if Tristan is awake. Kurwenal replies that only Isolde’s arrival can save Tristan, and the shepherd offers to keep watch and claims that he will pipe a joyful tune to mark the arrival of any ship. Tristan awakes (“Die alte Weise - was weckt sie mich?”) and laments his fate — to be, once again, in the false realm of daylight, once more driven by unceasing unquenchable yearning (“Wo ich erwacht’ Weilt ich nicht”). Tristan’s sorrow ends when Kurwenal tells him that Isolde is on her way. Tristan, overjoyed, asks if her ship is in sight, but only a sorrowful tune from the shepherd’s pipe is heard.
Tristan relapses and recalls that the shepherd’s mournful tune is the same as was played when he was told of the deaths of his father and mother (“Muss ich dich so versteh’n, du alte, ernst Weise”). He rails once again against his desires and against the fateful love-potion (“verflucht sei, furchbarer Trank!”) until, exhausted, he collapses in delirium. After his collapse, the shepherd is heard piping the arrival of Isolde’s ship, and, as Kurwenal rushes to meet her, Tristan tears the bandages from his wounds in his excitement (“Hahei! Mein Blut, lustig nun fliesse!”). As Isolde arrives at his side, Tristan dies with her name on his lips.
Isolde collapses beside her deceased lover just as the appearance of another ship is announced. Kurwenal spies Melot, Marke and Brangäne arriving (“Tod und Hölle! Alles zur Hand!”), he believes they have come to kill Tristan and, in an attempt to avenge him, furiously attacks Melot. Marke tries to stop the fight to no avail. Both Melot and Kurwenal are killed in the fight. Marke and Brangäne finally reach Tristan and Isolde. Marke, grieving over the body of his “truest friend,” explains that Brangäne revealed the secret of the love-potion and has come not to part the lovers, but to unite them (“Warum Isolde, warum mir das?”). Isolde appears to wake at this and in a final aria describing her vision of Tristan risen again (the “Liebestod”, “love death”), dies (“Mild und leise wie er lächelt”).
Cast Biographies
Although we are always happy to support the careers of local artists, the Dallas Opera attracts international casts from as far away as Russia and China in order to bring North Texas audiences the very best the world has to offer. This is the place where opera legend Plácido Domingo made his U.S. debut. Opera’s greatest stars are always shining at the Dallas Opera!
Starring
Isolde, an Irish princess
Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet
Soprano — New Orleans, Louisiana
Ms. Charbonet’s previous appearances with The Dallas Opera include the title role in Aïda, Amelia in Un ballo in maschera, Sieglinde in Die Walküre and Ortrud in Lohengrin. She is recognized as a leading force in the German and contemporary repertoire. In Europe, she has appeared on the stages of the Liceu Barcelona, Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Real Madrid, Opera Frankfurt, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro La Fenice, the Bregenz Festival and the Teatro Comunale di Firenze. She has performed the role of Isolde with the Geneva Opera, the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, the Canary Islands Opera Festival, and the Teatro Municipal Santiago. Other roles include Venus in a new production of Tannhäuser for the Geneva Opera, Leonore in Fidelio, Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer, Judith in Bluebeard’s Castle,the title roles of Vanessa, Elektra, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and the world première of Philippe Fenelon’s Judith. Upcoiming engagements include Venus Tannhäuser at Opéra National de Toulouse, the title role in Elektra at Opéra de Marseille, and Isolde at the Salzburger Landestheater.
Tristan, a Cornish knight
Clifton Forbis
Tenor — Nashville, Tennessee
Clifton Forbis returns for his seventh role with The Dallas Opera. Notable performances with TDO include Boris in Katya Kabanova and Siegmund in Die Walküre, and the title role of Otello in our inaugural performances in the Winspear Opera House. Mr. Forbis has earned international acclaim for his portrayals of the title roles in Samson et Dalila and Tristan und Isolde. His Samson has thrilled audiences at the Metropolitan Opera, San Diego, Marseille, Bilbao, and Genoa. He has delivered stunning performances of Tristan in his debut with the Berlin State Opera, Paris Opera, Opera de Lyon, Seattle, and in a new production at Grand Théâtre de Genève. He has distinguished himself in the title role of Otello with his debut at La Scala, and performances with the Dresden Semperoper, Vienna State Opera, and with the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival. He has been heralded for his performances of Siegmund in “Die Walküre” in Dallas, and with Canadian Opera Company, Vienna State Opera, and in concerts of the opera’s first act with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood. Mr. Forbis has recently been appointed chair of the voice department in the Division of Music at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts.
Brangäne
Mary Phillips
Mezzo-Soprano — East Providence, Rhode Island
Mary Phillips made her Dallas Opera debut as Ceres in The Tempest. Other roles with TDO include Rossweise in Die Walküre and Eduige in Rodelinda. Ms. Phillips is in demand in the repertoire of Wagner, Verdi, Beethoven, and Mahler. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Preziosilla in La Forza del sestino, and has appeared there most recently as Schwertleite in Wagner's Ring and as Mrs. Alexander in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha which was broadcast around the world live in High Definition. For the Canadian Opera Company, she has sung Fricka and Waltraute in Die Walküre, Waltraute in Götterdämmerung and Eboli in Don Carlo. She has sung Azucena in Il trovatore at Seattle Opera and Austin Lyric Opera. She is perhaps best known for her Amneris in Aida, most recently for Hawaii Opera Theater. Concert highlights include Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the New York Philharmonic, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Dallas Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony (recorded for Telarc), the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and in Beijing as part of the 2008 Summer Olympics festivities. Upcoming engagements include Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Baltimore Symphony and Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky for the Milwaukee Symphony.
Kurvenal, one of Tristan’s retainers
Jukka Rasilainen
Bass-Baritone — Helsinki, Finland — American debut
Jukka Rasilainen makes his American opera debut in these performances. He studied at the Sibelius Academy and the International Opera Studio. As a member of the Semperoper in Dresden, he has sung 27 different roles and was awarded the title of Kammersänger. He has also sung with the Vienna State Opera; Berlin State Opera; Deutsche Oper Berlin; the Bayreuth Festival; Paris Opera-Bastille; the Royal Opera, Covent Garden; Hamburg State Opera; Munich State Opera; and the new National Theater in Tokyo. He has sung the role of Wotan in Wagner’s Ring in Helsinki, Zurich, Paris and Dresden. Other roles include Amfortas in Parsifal, Telramund in Lohengrin and the title role in Der Fliegende Holländer. Upcoming engagements include Tristan und Isolde in Nice, Bayreuth, Barcelona, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Madrid; Katharina Wagner’s version of Der Ring des Nibelungen in Buenos Aires and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in Bogotá.
King Marke, of Cornwall
Kristinn Sigmundsson
Bass — Reykjavík, Iceland — Dallas Opera debut
Mr. Sigmundsson makes his Dallas Opera debut in this production. He has also sung the role with the Deutsche Opera Berlin in addition to performances in Chile and San Francisco. For the San Francisco Opera, he has also sung Méphistophélès in La damnation de Faust, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Il Commendatore in Don Giovani and Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier. Performances at the Metropolitan Opera include Baron Ochs, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Hunding in Die Walküre, Rocco in Fidelio, Frère Laurent in Romeo et Juliette and Vodnik in Rusalka. In Europe, he has regularly sung leading roles with the Staatsoper in Vienna, the Bayerische Staatsoper, and the Semperoper Dresden. In addition, he has sung nearly his entire repertoire with the Opera National de Paris. He is featured on recordings of Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, Schumann’s Fasutszenen and both of Bach’s Passions (St. John and St. Matthew). Upcoming engagements include the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos, (Deutsche Oper Berlin) and Landgraf in Tannhäuser, (New National Theater Tokyo).
Melot, a courtier
Stephen Gadd
Baritone — Bracknell, Birkshire, UK — American debut
Mr. Gadd makes his American opera debut with The Dallas Opera. He was a finalist in the inaugural Plácido Domingo Operalia Competition and also won the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship. He has performed with The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and other leading European opera houses, on BBC Radio and with orchestras throughout Europe and the Orient. His roles include the title roles in Verdi's Macbeth (Glyndebourne Festival Opera) and Don Giovanni (Opéra de Rennes, Opéra de Metz), Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro (Salzburg Festspiele in Japan), Melot in Tristan und Isolde (the Royal Opera Covent Garden, Glyndebourne Festival and the Baden Baden Festival), Germont Père in La traviata (Den Norske Opera, Oslo), Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde (Grange Park Opera), Renato in Un ballo in maschera (English National Opera), Escamillo in Carmen (Welsh National Opera) and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor; Riccardo in I puritani; and Yeletsky in The Queen of Spades for Opéra de Nantes. He has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos and Naxos. Upcoming engagements include Mr. Redburn in Billy Budd (Glyndebourne) and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly (Grange Park).
A young sailor / A shepherd
Aaron Blake
Tenor — Palos Verdes, California
Phyllis A. McCasland and Thomas H. McCasland, Jr. Young Artist
Returning for a second season as The Dallas Opera’s Young Artist in Residence, Aaron Blake made his company debut as Hervey in Anna Bolena. Other Dallas Opera roles include Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette, and Roméo in the school matinees of that opera. Mr. Blake recently sang the role of Idamante in Mozart’s Idomeneo with Opera San Jose. For the Utah Symphony and Opera, he has sung Fenton in Verdi’s Falstaff, El Remendado in Carmen and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and was the Tenor soloist for Handel’s Messiah. Santa Fe Opera audiences have seen him as Evandre in Gluck’s Alceste. His repertoire includes Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Belfiore in La finta giardiniera, Sam Kaplan in Street Scene, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. He was the recipient of a Bagby Career Grant from the Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts. Mr. Blake created the role of Brian in Nico Muhly’s opera Two Boys, in a workshop performance for the Metropolitan Opera. In addition to his work with The Dallas Opera this season, Mr. Blake will make his Carnegie Hall debut with the Oratorio Society of New York and will sing the role of Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore with the Utah opera.
A helmsman
Quincy Roberts
Bass — Dallas, Texas
Mr. Roberts made his Dallas Opera debut as Count Ceprano in Rigoletto. Notable previous engagements include Der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Carolina and Piedmont Opera, Joe in Show Boat with Mobile Opera, Red in the world premiere of Just Above My Head with the Opera Theater of Pittsburg, Hermann Ortel in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with the Cincinnati Symphony May Festival and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni with The Living Opera and Masterworks Festival. A Dallas native, Mr. Roberts is a graduate of the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. He has been a resident artist with Opera Carolina and a studio artist with Chautauqua Opera. He attended the Booker T. Washington School for the Performing and Visual Arts in the Dallas Arts District.
Supernumeraries
Jim Anderson
Doug Dodasovich (Alternate)
Paul Gomez
Seumas Hanna
Roger Howerton
Marek Lucas
Maxx Nuñez
Ben Rosewell
David Tinney
Production Team
Conductor
Graeme Jenkins
London, England
The Dallas Opera’s Music Director, Graeme Jenkins, has conducted 171 productions of 111 different operas including Billy Budd, Jenufa, Cavallaria rusticana, Pagliacci and Der Fliegende Holländer (Vienna State Opera); Così fan tutte (English National Opera); Baz Luhrman’s La bohéme and Die Meistersinger (Austrilia); The Cunning Little Vixen and From the House of the Dead (Berlin); Le nozze di Figaro for Theater an der Wien in Vienna; Simon Boccanegra, Der Fliegende Holländer and Il re pastore (Amsterdam); La clemenza di Tito (Copenhagen) and numerous productions with The Dallas Opera including the Ring cycle, Macbeth, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, The Magic Flute, and company premières of Billy Budd, Nabucco, Wozzeck, Katya Kabanova, Mary Queen of Scots and Rodelinda. He has also conducted world premières of works by Tobias Picker (Thérèse Raquin at The Dallas Opera) and Stephen Oliver’s Timon of Athens (English National Opera). Concert engagements have included the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Danish Opera Orchestra, the Utah Symphony Orchestra, the Galicia Symphony Orchestra of Spain and the Monte Carlo Philharmonic. In addition to conducting our Spring 2012 productions of Tristan und Isolde and The Magic Flute, he will conduct Der Fliegende Holländer and Peter Grimes (with Ben Heppner) in Vienna.
Production conception, design and stage direction
Christian Räth
Hamburg, Germany
Christian Räth has worked for major opera houses throughout the United States and Europe and returns to The Dallas Opera for this new production. Previous productions for TDO include Fidelio and Luisa Miller. His productions include Falstaff at the Washington National Opera, Roméo et Juliette at the Houston Grand Opera, Die Zauberflöte at the Cairo Opera House in Egypt and Carmen at the Grand Théâtre in Geneva. Recently he was the Associate Director of the new production of Wagner’s Ring cycle at the San Francisco Opera. Other recent productions include Salome at the Matsumoto Festival in Japan, Ariadne auf Naxos at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen, and Siegfried at the Washington National Opera. Mr. Räth has directed revival productions of La fille de Regiment at The Metropolitan Opera, L’elisir d’amore at the Teatro alla Scala, Billy Budd at the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Il trovatore and West Side Story at the Bregenz Festival, Of Mice and Men at the Houston Grand Opera and the Teatro Real de Madrid. He has been the Associate Director of La traviata and Platée at the Santa Fe Opera and Der Rosenkavalier and Das Rheingold in Bilbao.
Video/projection design
Elaine J. McCarthy
Arlington, Massachusetts
Elaine McCarthy returns to the Dallas Opera after her stunning debut during the 2009-2010 Season with designs for Moby-Dick. Other opera credits include Mazeppa (Metropolitan Opera), Dead Man Walking (NYC Opera), War and Peace (Kirov and Met Opera), Tan Dun’s The Gate, and Peter Sellar’s The Peony Pavilion. Her Broadway designs include The People in the Picture; Impressionism; Thurgood; Spamalot; Wicked; Good Vibrations; After the Fall; Assassins; Man of La Mancha; Into the Woods; and Judgement at Nuremberg. Off-Broadway designs include Frequency Hopping (set & projection); Embedded; The Stendhal Syndrome; Suitcase; The Thing About Men; and Speaking in Tongues. Regional credits include Distracted (set & projection); Limonade tous les Jours; Fran's Bed; Once in a Lifetime; Cobb, and Hair. She received an Eddy Award in 2003.
Costume design
Susan Cox
Susan A. Cox has worked as a costume designer, a professor, a draper and a technical artist specializing in body puppets and costume crafts. She has worked with organizations as varied as Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, New York City Opera, The University of New Mexico, Jim Henson's Creature Shop (both in Los Angeles and New York), Irene Corey Design Associates, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and theatre companies and costume shops from Broadway to the Napa Valley. Her work is represented in film, television and theater. She continues to work professionally and has recently completed work on Spike Jonz's production (Warner Bros.) of Where the Wild Things Are based on the illustrated book by Maurice Sendak. Ms. Cox is also a graphics designer and contributed to the documentary inserts featured in several DVD releases including Astaire And Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition, Rebel Without a Cause and The Wizard of Oz Collector's Edition.
Lighting design
Alan Burrett
London, England
Alan Burrett’s internationally acclaimed work for theatre, dance and opera has been seen in over 30 countries. In 1995 Mr. Burrett began a collaboration with the Los Angeles Opera and in 2001 was invited to become their first resident lighting designer where, to date, he has designed twenty-five productions. He has also designed for the Bejart ballet in Brussels, the Comedie Francaise, the Paris Opera Ballet and French television. As the Technical Director for the Ballet of the Opera of Lyon he designed the sets, costumes and lighting for several productions. He was the head of lighting at the English National Opera and also designed many memorable productions at the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theater, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Munich Opera and the Burgtheater Vienna. In 2008 Alan was appointed professor at the University of California San Diego where he heads the lighting design program. Recent productions include the The Shakespeare Festival in San Diego and the opera Xerxes in Vienna.
Wig and make-up design
David Zimmerman
Dallas, Texas
David Zimmerman has worked with several opera companies around the world. These include The Metropolitan Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, Paris National Opera, and Opera Santa Barbara. Mr. Zimmerman’s career extends to Broadway, as well, where he has worked with shows including Wicked, Rocky Horror, Show Boat, South Pacific and Evita. Personal clients include Deborah Voigt, Patricia Racette, Martha Stewart, Olympia Dukakis and Ricky Martin. Mr. Zimmmerman has also done the makeup for DIFFA Fashion Runway, Dallas Fashion and Art Charity, and the Yelp.com fashion event, as well as the “Diva Issue” of OperaNews, the magazine cover and story featuring Deborah Voigt. TV and film credits include Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year and a feature film starring Anna Paquin. This year marks his 6th consecutive season at the Dallas Opera.
Chorus Master
Alexander Rom
Kharkov, Ukraine
Career Highlights: Moby-Dick, Madame Butterfly, Otello, Don Pasquale (2009); The Merry Widow, Porgy and Bess and Tosca (2008); Lohengrin, Macbeth, La rondine and Mary Queen of Scots (2007); Nabucco, The Barber of Seville and The Magic Flute (2006); The Tales of Hoffmann (2005), Cav/Pag (2005); Madame Butterfly (1995, 2000, 2005), Jenufa (1993, 2004), Der fliegende Holländer (1993) and other productions – too numerous to name – for The Dallas Opera. A composer (and confirmed book lover) as well as an internationally renowned chorus master, Alexander’s works have been performed at Carnegie Hall. His arrangements of songs by Edvard Grieg have been performed at New York’s famed South Street Seaport and, in England, by members of the BBC Chorus under the direction of Bo Holten.
Projection Design
Austin Switser
Dallas, TX
Austin is a New York-based projection designer for theater, opera and interactive installation. He recently designed Kaija Saariaho’s newest opera Emilie that will be presented this year at Lincoln Center. He is the resident designer for multimedia performance group The Builders Association and has collaborated on Broadway shows such as Rock of Ages, American Idiot, and Porgy and Bess. Austin is a Dallas native and holds a degree from CalArts where he developed the program for Video Design for Performance. www.austinswitser.com
Projection Design
Vita Tzykun
Vita Tzykun is a visual artist and production designer for stage and film. She has designed several feature films and worked with such clients as Lady Gaga, Norwegian Opera, Juilliard Opera, 92nd Y, NY Classical Theater, the Cherry Lane Theater, PBS, DIRECTV, Axe, Qualcomm, and Volvo. She holds an MFA in Design for Stage and Film from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and a BFA in Design for Theater from Tel-Aviv University. www.vitavision.net
Assistant Director
John de los Santos
San Antonio, TX
John de los Santos made his choreographic debut with the Dallas Opera in last season’s Don Giovanni. As a director/choreographer, his productions include Carmen and The Mikado (Fort Worth Opera), Orpheus & Euridice (Voices of Change), Carmina Burana (Northern Lights Music Festival), andThe Music Man (Utah Festival Opera). His choreography for David Gately's production of Carmen has been seen at Washington National Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Florida Grand Opera, and Austin Lyric Opera. He has served on the faculty of the Seagle Music Colony in Scroon Lake, NY, where his directing credits include Anything Goes, Crazy For You, The Medium,La boheme, and Brigadoon. For Dallas' Uptown Players, he choreographed the regional premiere of Altar Boyz and the American premiere of Closer to Heaven. For Addison's WaterTower Theatre, he choreographed the regional premiere of Spring Awakening. For Fort Worth Opera, he has choreographed Rigoletto, Salome, La traviata, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and the world premieres of Frau Margot and Before Night Falls. This summer he will choreograph for the Des Moines Metro Opera, then return to direct Hello Again for Uptown Players.
Facts
Conversation Starter
The role of Tristan was created in 1865 by tenor Ludwig Schnorr, who, evidently, was anything but a snooze in the role, but died two weeks after the opera’s world premiere. It gets worse: tenor George Ander went mad studying Tristan and two 20th century conductors, Felix Mottl and Joseph Keilberth, died while conducting the second act. Stay safe - be a member of the audience.
Did You Know?
Possibly the least known work of Wagner’s maturity is his “American Centennial March” commissioned by the City of Philadelphia in 1876 to open a major exhibition. Wagner pocketed $5,000 (the equivalent of $160,000 today) and the composition — it was universally agreed — stank.
Artistic Director Jonathan Pell’s Recommended Listening
Choosing one of the many excellent recorded versions of Wagner’s epic love story is very difficult and completely subjective, but if I had to choose only one it would have to be the one starring Jon Vickers and Helga Dernesch, both of whom made their United States debut with the Dallas Opera, conducted by Herbert von Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (EMI Classics #69319, available on Amazon here). This recording also boasts Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry and Karl Ridderbusch.
Recommended Reading
- The Tristan Chord: Wagner and Philosophy by Bryan Magee
- Death Devoted Heart: Sex and the Sacred in Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde by Roger Scruton
Performances
| Thursday, February 16, 2012 7:00 PM | Buy |
| Sunday, February 19, 2012 2:00 PM | Buy |
| Wednesday, February 22, 2012 7:00 PM | Buy |
| Saturday, February 25, 2012 7:00 PM | Buy |
Or, buy a subscription to enjoy multiple operas and TDO Subscriber Benefits!
Venue
Performances of Tristan & Isolde take place in the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall in the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House.
