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Wagner Society in NSW Inc
by Richard Mason The drama started before curtain-up, as a manager came out on stage to be greeted by groans from the audience. Were Ben Heppner and Deborah Voigt doomed never to unite in song? This cursed run of six performances had already suffered from Ben Heppner cancelling the first four, and Deborah Voigt struggling with three different Tristans, falling ill during Act II of the fourth performance and then cancelling the fifth. However, the manager announced that it was ‘only good news' as Margaret Jane Wray was ill and to be replaced by Michelle deYoung. Deborah Voigt was very dramatic and colourful in Act I, in the first part of Act II her voice was rather tight, improved for the softer tones of ‘O sink herneider', and produced a superb rich soaring colour for the Act III close. Ben Heppner was astonishing, producing a true heldentenor sound, absolutely firm with ringing high notes on full voice throughout. The love duet was sung in full, without the usual large cut made for Tristan's benefit. Amazingly, he still had enough voice for an anguished Act III, where the vocal stamina added to the dramatic tension. Certainly the greatest Tristan I have seen, including Vickers, probably the best since Melchior. Both Voigt and Heppner had finely detailed interpretations. Michelle DeYoung produced a rich colour for a sympathetic Brangane, Eike Wilm Schulte played a bluff and warm Kurwenal, whilst Matti Salminen brought anguish and deep distress to the role of King Marke. James Levine underplayed the more dramatic moments in the score to instead concentrate on producing a careful and sweeping build-up of sound that became increasingly intense. The opera has probably never been so long nor appeared so short. The production was partly traditional, partly abstract, partly Japanese, partly Eurotrash and partly naff. The Met audience gave a 20 minute standing ovation at the end (at 12.15!) of this magnificent performance, which was still ringing in the ears over a week later.
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