Lisa Davidsen as Isolde and Michael Spyres as Tristan in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde © Karen Almond / Met Opera
Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde in the Met’s Live in HD series in cinemas the world over on Saturday, March 21st at 12.00 pm. This production stars Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen as Isolde, American tenor Michael Spyres as Tristan – both making their role debuts for the Met – Russian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova reprising her role as Isolde’s confidante Brangäne, Polish bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczy as Kurneval, Tristan’s assistant, and American bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green as King Marke, whom Isolde is to marry.
Direction is by Yuval Sharon in his Met debut – “the most visionary opera director of his generation” according to The New York Times – and the first American to direct an opera at the Wagner festival in Bayreuth. He imagines the opera as one transcendent episode within an endless cycle of death and rebirth.
A scene from Act I of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde © Karen Almond / Met Opera
Wagner completed the score of this three-act opera in 1859, and also wrote the libretto, but it wasn’t premiered until June 10th, 1865, due to the complexity of the music and the scale of the work. There were even those who said it was unperformable, and Wagner himself described it as “the most audacious and original work of my life”.
Lisa Davidsen as Isolde in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde © Karen Almond / Met Opera
Tristan und Isolde, a romantic tragedy of love and death, is based on a medieval legend about a love which surpasses all. The story tells of Isolde who has been captured by Tristan, and who is taking her by ship to his uncle, King Marke of Cornwall, whom she is to marry. She is in love with Tristan, even though he is bearing her to marry the foreign king. Tristan is also in love with Isolde, and when land is sighted, she sends for him, intending for both of them to drink a poisoned potion. Her maid, Brangäne, replaces the intended poison with a love potion, and as the ship lands, Isolde and Tristan drink, each expecting to die. Instead, the two suddenly discover not death but love.
Michael Spyres as Tristan in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde © Karen Almond / Met Opera
Later, they meet in the grounds of the King’s castle, while the King is on a hunting trip, but he returns and discovers the lovers. In the ensuing battle, Tristan is wounded. He is banished to his castle in Brittany, and when Isolde finally arrives, he dies in her arms. King Marke arrives in Brittany, realising that Tristan and Isolde are in love, and has come to pardon Isolde and deliver the news to Tristan. In Isolde’s song of farewell to Tristan, she sees him transfigured, and the two lovers are united in death.
A scene from Act II of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde © Karen Almond / Met Opera
Soprano Lise Davidsen makes her long-anticipated company role debut as Isolde, following a triumphant run at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. One of the most in-demand dramatic sopranos of her generation, Davidsen marks a major artistic milestone in her Wagnerian repertoire with this production. Following her performance in this role in January, Javier Pérez Senz wrote in Scherzo: “In the tradition of the legendary Nordic sopranos, with Kirsten Flagstad and Birgit Nilsson in the Wagnerian pantheon, Davidsen shines with her own unique personality, intelligence, and musical sensitivity, bringing to life an Isolde of exuberant vocal brilliance, always assured, with pure vocal production in the most lyrical moments and powerful high notes.” Davidsen will go on to perform a masterclass at the Juilliard School at the end of March, and will follow that with a recital with Freddie de Tommaso at Santa Monica. She will then perform at a Gala Concert of Verdi’s Macbeth in Copenhagen, and at a Schubert recital with James Baillieu in Girona.
A scene from Act III of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde © Karen Almond / Met Opera
American bari-tenor Michael Spyres is Tristan, also making his Met role debut. Artistic Director of Ozarks Lyric Opera in Springfield, Missouri. He has recently appeared at the Gstaad New Years Music Festival with Anastasia Bartoli, in a Beethoven, Liszt and Berlioz Concert at Opéra de Lausanne and also at Opéra de Dijon. Among the roles he will take following this run at the Met will be that of Captain Georg von Trapp in Rogers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music at Ozarks Lyric Opera, he will appear in concert at the Vienna State Opera, as Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Vienna State Opera, as Siegmund in Wagner’s Die Walküre also at the Vienna State Opera and in concert as Doctor Marrianus in Mahler’s Symphony No 8 at
Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.
The set designer is Es Devlin, costume designer is Clint Ramos, choreography is by Annie-B Parson, projection designer are Jason H. Thompson and Tilman Michael and the Met’s C Graham Berwind III is the Chorus Director. The lighting designer is John Torres and video designer Ruth Hogben – both making their Met debuts.
Michael Spyres as Tristan and Lisa Davidsen as Isolde in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde © Karen Almond / Met Opera
Gary Halvorson will direct the Live in HD presentation, and Lisette Oropesa will host the transmission, sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes content and interviews during the intermissions.
Further details on Tristan und Isolde and details of ticketing are available on the Metropolitan Opera website, together with details on how you can find your local cinema screening.
The 2025–26 Live in HD season continues with Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin on May 2nd and Gabriela Lena Frank’s El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego on May 30th. All performances will be Saturday matinees transmitted live from the Met stage.
This production is sung in German, with subtitles in English, German and Spanish.
Information sourced from:
Metropolitan Opera program notes
Artists’ websites
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