# My First Opera in 7 years!!! Tristan! Incredible!!!!!



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I didn't like the operatic offerings presented by Speight Jenkins replacement but we have a German lady general director now who has a season that makes me want to attend. I also just couldn't pay the $20 for parking... now $35. I just recently found out I can catch a bus a block from me right close to the opera house for a buck. I NEVER thought I see another Tristan after Eaglen and Hepner premiered here but tonight blew me away! It was a traditional production ( thank god) but very high tech and all done with projections. Mary Elizabeth Williams has been maybe the premier Abagaille and Lady Macbeth for a while but I didn't know how she would do in Wagner but she was great. A beautiful voice with enough amplitude to be heard easily over the orchestra. She didn't have the extra lung that Jane Eaglen had but she looked lovely onstage ( she's 6 feet and normal size). Stefan Vinke was definitely up to the task of Tristan and the Brangaene had a true Brunhilde voice. During the love duet they had moonlit clouds moving over twinkling stars.... magical! I had people to chat with everywhere and I spoke to a 30 something straight ( I guess) guy with a tattoo sleeve of The Ring with a gorgeous Brunhilde and Fafner's dragon!!!! It was a great evening. Next a concert version of Samson and Delilah Seattle Opera 2022-23 Review: Tristan und Isolde - OperaWire


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

This is a photo of our singers in action:This is a video of the GORGEOUS Argentinian production they used for our 2022 Seattle Tristan. You really can only get a hint at what it looked like in the house. Our tech in our new opera house is among the best in the world now and it was a stunning visual production. From a distance Mary Elizabeth looked like a tall Irish lass to me:


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Sounds awesome. Congrats!


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

It looks a pretty watchable production.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Wonder of wonders, it actually looks like a production of _Tristan und Isolde_. Congrats to Seattle, where in the '80s I saw a _Ring_ that looked like the _Ring. _

The Isolde in that clip couldn't possibly sound as beautiful as she looks, but for the moment I'll imagine her with Flagstad's voice.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Mary Elizabeth Williams—Liebestod [Excerpt]—Tristan and Isolde (2022) - YouTube
Seattle Opera posted a little bit of Mild und leise. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts Seattleoperafan on how her sound live in the theater compares to the sound as recorded in this clip, given that that's something that comes up a lot here when talking about singers.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Mary Elizabeth Williams—Liebestod [Excerpt]—Tristan and Isolde (2022) - YouTube
> Seattle Opera posted a little bit of Mild und leise. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts Seattleoperafan on how her sound live in the theater compares to the sound as recorded in this clip, given that that's something that comes up a lot here when talking about singers.


It is typical of modern voices in not being terribly disctinctive BUT for me that doesn't matter in a production. It is a beautiful voice throughout the range with the needed amplitude down low. It wasn't as big as Eaglen or Blythe who I heard live and they were enormous walls of sound BUT it was plenty big enough to be fully effective in the role. She had normal vibrato with zero wobble or problem parts of the voice. If she sings near you go out of your way to see her live!!!!! She was great at Abagaile (sp) but Verdi wasn't Wagner. I think her only competition today would be Goerke and I like Williams voice better. ALSO if you get to hear Amber Wagner GO. She had a true Wagnerian dramatic soprano voice. Now she is doing only Sieglinde and maybe Senta but she will be a great Isolde. Her Brangane's Warning was great and she had a huge voice!!!!! She has sung at the Met already. It is the real thing!!!! This video is a good representation of her gorgeous voice.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> ALSO if you get to hear Amber Wagner GO. She had a true Wagnerian dramatic soprano voice. Now she is doing only Sieglinde and maybe Senta but she will be a great Isolde. Her Brangane's Warning was great and she had a huge voice!!!!! She has sung at the Met already. It is the real thing!!!! This video is a good representation of her gorgeous voice.


I'd say Amber has the right last name. That voice would fill any theater. Let's keep our ears cocked.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I just stumbled across this little synopsis of the opera:


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Woodduck said:


> I'd say Amber has the right last name.


Is she related to Richard? Whatabout Josef Wagner (the baritone)?


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

hammeredklavier said:


> Is she related to Richard? Whatabout Josef Wagner (the baritone)?


I don't know. But there was also a well-known contralto named - wait for i! - Sieglinde Wagner who sang - wait for it! - Wagner at Bayreuth.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> I'd say Amber has the right last name. That voice would fill any theater. Let's keep our ears cocked.


I admire your deadpan delivery of those three lines. 😏


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Barbebleu said:


> I admire your deadpan delivery of those three lines. 😏


Thanks, but I had no choice. I haven't figured out how to do a livepan delivery.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> I'd say Amber has the right last name. That voice would fill any theater. Let's keep our ears cocked.


Don't take it the wrong way, but her voice is fat. The sound is incisive over an orchestra but it fills the hall. The baseline of the voice is really ample in volume without pushing it... needed for Wagner.She has the potential to be the best Wagnerian soprano of this generation. I was really impressed.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I hope you're right. I also hope that she can shed about 30 pounds without vocal damage. I guess I can't get that gorgeous Isolde at Teatro Argentino out of my mind. That's never going to be Amber Wagner, but we don't need another Jane Eaglen, who sounded good but was ultimately unwatchable.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> I hope you're right. I also hope that she can shed about 30 pounds without vocal damage. I guess I can't get that gorgeous Isolde at Teatro Argentino out of my mind. That's never going to be Amber Wagner, but we don't need another Jane Eaglen, who sounded good but was ultimately unwatchable.


They had her costumed well in dark green velvet . Eaglen was about 40 pounds smaller when I saw her in Norma but packed it on by the next outing. TV was NOT her friend.


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## Hogwash (5 mo ago)

Good to hear you had a great time!


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

So good to hear you’re back at the opera John and with a hit right off the bat! It’s still opera so you’re obviously going to have to pay some dues for it down the pike, but no one can take it away😉😁!! And I agree with all...I’d give that production a try in a heartbeat and Amber certainly sounds like she’s got the goods! Can’t wait for Samson review!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

ScottK said:


> So good to hear you’re back at the opera John and with a hit right off the bat! It’s still opera so you’re obviously going to have to pay some dues for it down the pike, but no one can take it away😉😁!! And I agree with all...I’d give that production a try in a heartbeat and Amber certainly sounds like she’s got the goods! Can’t wait for Samson review!


Our new general director seems to have that knack for picking great vocalists like our great long time director Speight Jenkins, which is what I go for. She engaged J'nai Bridges from our area as Delilah who has the following accolades:"American mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, known for her “plush-voiced mezzo-soprano” (_The New York Times_), and “calmly commanding stage presence” (_The New Yorker_) has been heralded as “a rising star” (_Los Angeles Times_), gracing the world’s top opera and concert stages. She sounds wonderful and is gorgeous, which you want for the sexy siren.


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## damianjb1 (Jan 1, 2016)

Seattleoperafan said:


> It is typical of modern voices in not being terribly disctinctive BUT for me that doesn't matter in a production. It is a beautiful voice throughout the range with the needed amplitude down low. It wasn't as big as Eaglen or Blythe who I heard live and they were enormous walls of sound BUT it was plenty big enough to be fully effective in the role. She had normal vibrato with zero wobble or problem parts of the voice. If she sings near you go out of your way to see her live!!!!! She was great at Abagaile (sp) but Verdi wasn't Wagner. I think her only competition today would be Goerke and I like Williams voice better. ALSO if you get to hear Amber Wagner GO. She had a true Wagnerian dramatic soprano voice. Now she is doing only Sieglinde and maybe Senta but she will be a great Isolde. Her Brangane's Warning was great and she had a huge voice!!!!! She has sung at the Met already. It is the real thing!!!! This video is a good representation of her gorgeous voice.


I heard Amber Wagner as Aida in Sydney a few years ago. A stunning voice. And HUGE!!!!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

damianjb1 said:


> I heard Amber Wagner as Aida in Sydney a few years ago. A stunning voice. And HUGE!!!!


She never really cut loose in Brangane but I could just tell there were reserves of power. That must have been great. A Verdi and Wagner singer.... we could sure use BOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did opera in AU keep up it's steam after Sutherland quit singing??? I think she and Bonynge really put it on the map back in the day. Do you know David Hansen, the countertenor from there? I really love him and wish he had more on Youtube.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> This is a photo of our singers in action:This is a video of the GORGEOUS Argentinian production they used for our 2022 Seattle Tristan. You really can only get a hint at what it looked like in the house. Our tech in our new opera house is among the best in the world now and it was a stunning visual production. From a distance Mary Elizabeth looked like a tall Irish lass to me:


Buenos Aires production looks very beautiful. And the use of technologies is present. They made a right trailer, without close-ups, as it's seen from the hall. But I recognized Tristan, it's Leonid Zakhozhaev, who sang major Wagner parts in Mariinsky in previous generation and took part in The Ring tours with Gergiev.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

ColdGenius said:


> Buenos Aires production looks very beautiful. And the use of technologies is present. They made a right trailer, without close-ups, as it's seen from the hall. But I recognized Tristan, it's Leonid Zakhozhaev, who sang major Wagner parts in Mariinsky in previous generation and took part in The Ring tours with Gergiev.


It was so much more lush and gorgeous in person. I am just glad anything operatic is still coming out of Latin America. It used to be very much like Europe in it's opera going public.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> It was so much more lush and gorgeous in person. I am just glad anything operatic is still coming out of Latin America. It used to be very much like Europe in it's opera going public.


Salzburg Festival's chief noticed with pleasure that several Latin Americans in the opera house can seriously warm up the atmosphere.


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