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Review: Well, here it is! After a long wait full of - mostly - false anticipation. "Domingo would do a complete Ring" "Live at the Met!" "Record a Walkürie anyhow" "Voight and Domino would essay a complete Tristan" substitute Eaglin for Voight and so forth and so on. The only thing to come of this scuttlebutt is the memories of several glorious Die Walkürie performances at the Met. And this record. So let us be grateful for our blessings. Before going into the performances per se let me set the record straight - literally. EMI lists eight selections for Siegfried and six for Tristan but that might mislead people into thinking that there are fourteen bleeding chunks being presented but no, it is only the complete Love Duets from the two operas. For the two principal singers there can be nothing but the highest praise. This is particularly true for the sixty year young Domingo. Previously in my reviews of his singing I went to far as to accuse him of being in league with the devil incarnate. That was for being able to play and sing so well the sixteen-year-old Romeo in the Gounod opera, which was recorded about five years ago. Now here is a hyper-romantic Tristan and an enthralled/impassioned Siegfried. It isn't right you know. It will have to be paid for. It is not merely that vocally that this is superior singing; it is his great knowledge of the parts and add to this that his German is better than many Germans. As to Voight: Maybe here and there is a loss of weight in the voice but that is approximate only and is easily made up by the fluidity of the delivery and the beauty of the vocal member itself. Her highlight is in the Tristan and those words, Tristan du, Ich Isolde Nicht mehr Tristan! Those ring out with glory. Of the rest of the production, what can one say but the simple truth. The conducting is ghastly. Surely there are better to be found for such an important record. There is no usegoing into detail because there are no details. And as far as that's concerned the sound too is muted - Wagner muted! - Nor can that be blamed on singers who are high on the decibel scale. Mention must also be made of Urmana's fine off-stage Brangäne. Surely you must own this record but as surely you will sigh at wasted opportunities. Excerpt used: Tristan - final two minutes.
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Wagner:
Love Duets / Domingo, Voigt, Pappano, Covent Garden
