Tristan and Isolde
Rudolfinum, Monday 7 October 2024 at 7.30 pm
Public dress rehearsal on Sunday 6 October 2024 at 10.00 a.m.
Richard Wagner: Tristan and Isolde, Act III 75 min.
Petr Popelka conductor
Michael Weinius Tristan, tenor
Elisabeth Teige Isolda, soprano
Ester Pavlů Brangäne, mezzo-soprano
Jens-Erik Aasbø král Marke, bass
Bernhard Hansky Kurwenal, baritone
Martin Šrejma Hirt, Steuermann, tenor
Jiří Brückler Melot, barytone
The concert performance of the extraordinarily long opera Tristan und Isolde, which the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra planned over three seasons, reaches its climax in the third act. The wounded knight Tristan is kept alive only by his desire to meet Isolde. When she finally gets to him, Tristan dies in her arms. King Marke arrives on the next ship, no longer seeking revenge, having learned of the magic love potion and realising that the lovers who had betrayed him were innocent. But all is in vain, and Isolde dies of grief. Richard Wagner was inspired by a medieval epic based on a Celtic legend. His own experiences also contributed to the extraordinary artistic atmosphere of the work – he had a love affair with the gifted writer Mathilde Wesendonck, a noble, intelligent and beautiful woman who was also the wife of his patron. In an inspiring friendship, the composer experienced a harmony of souls and an unfulfilled love, and he retold the ancient love story as a timeless symbol of such emotions. Wagner’s exhilarating music, spread across a vast canvas and interwoven with characteristic motifs, famous for its endless melodies and captivating charm, adds to the exclusivity of his operas. In developing the concept of the unity of the poetic word, music, staging and acting, he left such an extraordinary mark that he is regarded as a fundamental reformer of Romantic opera. Tristan and Isolde occupies a special place among his thirteen stage works.
The concert is broadcast live by Czech Radio station Vltava. Czech Radio D-dur broadcasts the concert every following Wednesday.
Individual tickets: CZK 1,100 | CZK 900 | CZK 700 | CZK 500 | CZK 300 | CZK 180
Small subscription, 6 concerts: CZK 3,200 | CZK 2,800 | CZK 2,400 | CZK 2,000 | CZK 1,600
Large subscription, 12 concerts: CZK 4,500 | CZK 4,100 | CZK 3,700 | CZK 3,400 | CZK 2,100
The organiser reserves the right to change the list of scheduled performers.
