# Chamber production of Tristan und Isolde



## Ignatius Holland (Nov 14, 2016)

Has anyone seen this?






It's a Japanese production of Tristan und Isolde with a reduced score for chamber orchestra.

I personally think its great, although I could see why some would dislike it. I could see that some might take issue with the fact that it actually takes Wagners score and changes it, which could be seen as blasphemous. I don't think it sounds anywhere near as good as a full orchestra, but its still great music and a fairly decent performance (a little pitchy string section, though). In fact, there are a few moments which actually supercede the original music with the intimacy that a chamber ensemble brings to the music.

I think this is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately the Grand Opera tradition is becoming too expensive to continue for much longer for all but the most popular opera houses . For example the recent Ring Cycle in Melbourne cost millions to produce. It was a decent performance (my first live Ring, actually) but I'm not sure it was worth all that money. I think chamber productions could be an attractive alternative.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Well, seven minutes into the prelude, I have to give it up. The strings are positively anemic and can't begin to balance the winds, with the result that the music loses half its effect. This is not the _Siegfried Idyll_ - it isn't even Wagner - and is emphatically _not_ a step in the right direction. What would be the next step in that direction? An accordion ensemble??

BTW, the conducting is flat as a pancake and the singing is atrocious.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

I have seen it. The only thing I can say about it is that it is not one of my favourite opera videos. I think it would be better to stage an actual chamber opera.

It can also be said that there are opera performances with only a piano.


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## Ignatius Holland (Nov 14, 2016)

Woodduck said:


> Well, seven minutes into the prelude, I have to give it up. The strings are positively anemic and can't begin to balance the winds, with the result that the music loses half its effect. This is not the _Siegfried Idyll_ - it isn't even Wagner - and is emphatically _not_ a step in the right direction. What would be the next step in that direction? An accordion ensemble??
> 
> BTW, the conducting is flat as a pancake and the singing is atrocious.


After a second listening, I think I have to agree with you, particularly with the conducting and singing. The conducting actually frustrated me at several points where I felt the music should have lingered, but kept moving alon.

I was interested in learning about this theatre and production, so I tried reading about them on their website. It _think_ they were originally a traditional Japanese opera house. For this production, they seem to have collaborated with a fairly renowned artist named Yoshitomo Nara for the staging. Also it was the conductor who arranged the score. Interestingly enough, they actually talked about how precise the conductor (I think his name is Sasaki) was and how he was always on the beat and was always consistent. Maybe in Japan, this conducting style is favoured? I certainly found it extremely boring.

The more and more I listen to this arrangment, the less and less I like it. I don't think a chamber production of Tristan und Isolde is completely implausible but it would require an extremely skilled arranger, which Sasaki clearly isn't.

Here's the information I found on their website. Does anyone here know Japanese?

　日本の首都東京の中心部で有名オペラを聴こう。日本橋オペラが遂に旗揚げ。このほど第１回公演としてワーグナーの代表作にして最大の難曲としても知られる「トリスタンとイゾルデ」が採り上げられた。（日本語字幕付きノーカット原語上演）。
　佐々木修指揮ワーグナーアンサンブルの演奏。新鋭舘亜里沙の演出に加え、配役はイゾルデに福田祥子、トリスタンに片寄純也（１、２幕）と両主役に実力者を揃えた豪華布陣、会場には指揮者と縁のある人気ポップアート作家奈良美智の幻の若書きや今回の公演のために委嘱されたジョージア（グルジア）の女流画家ニノ・カルミゼの「トリスタンとイゾルデ」も飾られ、日本橋の地に総合芸術空間が現出。
　舞台上に置かれたオーケストラは佐々木自身の編曲になる室内楽版による一菅編成（イングリッシュホルンやバスクラ入り）だったが、会場の規模も幸いし第１幕の前奏曲から過不足ない響きで楽しめ、弦楽器が右側に配置されたため、本場バイロイト同様第１ヴァイオリンが右に来たのも面白かった。佐々木は座っての指揮だったが相変わらず無駄なく合理的で的確な指揮ぶり。この劇場は本来歌舞伎上演などに使用されることが多いせいか、客席の通路を花道のように活用。水夫が２階席サイドで歌ったり、歌手は縦横無尽に動き回っていた。第２幕でも福田と片寄の名コンビが愛の二重唱で「うつし世は夢、夜の夢こそまこと」の世界を熱唱。演出も終結のユニークなパントマイムなど独自性が光っていたが基本的にはオーソドックスなものでワーグナーの世界を逸脱せず好感が持てた。第３幕のトリスタン升島唯博はやや非力だったものの本場仕込みの丁寧な歌唱は充分存在感があり、３幕でのトリスタンは瀕死の重傷だけにこれでいいのだともいえる。ヒロイン福田は既にブリュンヒルデやイゾルデとしての経験も豊富なだけにその圧倒的な声量といい「愛の死」は貫禄充分だった。（５月２日、日本橋劇場）（浅岡弘和）


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Did you try google translation?


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## Ignatius Holland (Nov 14, 2016)

Pugg said:


> Did you try google translation?


Here's what I got

Let 's listen to the famous opera in the center of Tokyo' s capital. Nihonbashi Opera finally got off. Tristan and Isolde, also known as Wagner's masterpiece as the first performance, also known as the greatest difficulty was picked up. (Performed uncut original language with Japanese subtitles).
Osamu Sasaki conducting the Wagner ensemble. In addition to the production of a new generation of Tanari Aya, the cast is Shoko Fukuda for Isolde, Junya Katayo (1 and 2 acts) for Tristan, a luxurious crew that has both leading players in the protagonists, popular pop art writer Nori Yoshito's phantom young writer and Georgia (Georgian) female flower painter Nino Karmizze's Tristan and Isolde were also appointed for this performance, and a comprehensive art space appeared in the Nihonbashi area.
The orchestra placed on the stage was Kazuya formation (English horn and bath scraper) by a chamber music version which became arrangement of Mr. Sasaki himself, but the magnificent venue was also fortunate enough to enjoy from the preludes of the 1st act with just enough sounding , It was also interesting that the first violin came to the right like a real Bayreuth because the string instrument was placed on the right side. Although Sasaki was the commander of sitting, as usual it was rational and accurate command as useless. Since this theater is often used for kabuki performances or the like, this theater is used like passenger seats like flower roads. The sailor sang on the second floor side and the singer was moving around and down. Even in the second act, Fukuda and Kotobayashi's name combination dedicated to the world of "Love dreams, night dreams true truth" with a love duet. Production was also unique pantomime and the originality was shining, but basically it was an orthodox thing and it did not deviate from the world of Wagner and it liked it. Although Tristan Okishima Yuhiro of the third act was somewhat ineffective, polite singing with the home side has enough presence, while Tristan in the third act is said to be good only for mortal serious injuries. Heroine Fukuda already had overwhelming voices and abundant experiences as Brunhild and Isolde already "Death of love" was sufficiently dignified. (May 2, Nihonbashi Theater) (Hirokazu Asaoka)

This doesn't really help, the syntax is so different from English that this is almost unreadable.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Ignatius Holland said:


> Here's what I got
> 
> Let 's listen to the famous opera in the center of Tokyo' s capital. Nihonbashi Opera finally got off. Tristan and Isolde, also known as Wagner's masterpiece as the first performance, also known as the greatest difficulty was picked up. (Performed uncut original language with Japanese subtitles).
> Osamu Sasaki conducting the Wagner ensemble. In addition to the production of a new generation of Tanari Aya, the cast is Shoko Fukuda for Isolde, Junya Katayo (1 and 2 acts) for Tristan, a luxurious crew that has both leading players in the protagonists, popular pop art writer Nori Yoshito's phantom young writer and Georgia (Georgian) female flower painter Nino Karmizze's Tristan and Isolde were also appointed for this performance, and a comprehensive art space appeared in the Nihonbashi area.
> ...


I think it looks good. I have seen translations were you really have to think what it says.


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