Richard Wagner Antonio Pappano Plaacutecido Domingo - Plcido Domingo Deborah Voigt Wagner Love Duets Tristan und Isolde Siegfried (14 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

Not just for Domingo's fans!

opernnarr | Carrboro, NC USA | 08/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was back in the 1970s that Placido Domingo first mentioned his desire to sing Tristan. He claimed then that it would come at the end of his career, the last role he would add to his repertoire. I suspect that in the interim he's refused numerous offers to sing the complete opera on stage. He was also the tenor of choice for the ill-fated Solti/Decca studio recording, which was cancelled after the conductor's death in 1997. In short, we've waited a long time to hear Domingo in this music, and this disc rewards us amply for our patience. The recording presents two of Wagner's most exciting scenes for soprano and tenor, excellently sung and beautifully accompanied, and Domingo is just one of its strengths.The tenor's voice is no longer that of a young man: it's darker, a little less tightly focused, and he applies himself somewhat carefully to Wagner's longer and higher phrases. And there's no doubt that the microphones help him cope with the heavy orchestrations. But what gorgeous sounds he makes! His voice is perfectly firm from top to bottom and his legato is glorious. Something in his sound suggests romantic ardor, and he sings here with a passion that few modern Heldentenors can equal. I found him more convincing as Tristan; Siegfried, I think, simply needs a younger sound. But as always with this artist, he convinces you that he's right for (most of) what he sings. For my money, the real star here is Voigt, who fully deserves equal billing. Her voice is astonishing: big in scale, bright in tone, perfectly projected, with jaw-dropping amplitude on high, sustained notes. She never sounds strained or uncomfortable, and every word is perfectly intelligible. Although she is a more straightforward interpreter than her tenor, she always sings within character. I loved hearing her in this music, and hope this isn't her last stab at the big Wagner roles. Pappano's direction fully captures the sexual energy and sensuality of the music, and his 'Tristan' postlude (in the concert version recorded here) is breathtaking. And finally, don't tune out Violeta Urmana's Brangaene; she's one of the world's top dramatic mezzos and possesses a rich, exotically colored voice. She can hold her own in this company.So yes, don't hesitate! It's good!"

Extraordinarily magnificent Wagner!

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 12/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tales abound about opera singers who went mad because of the music of Tristan und Isolde, how opera patrons swooned into coma upon the inital hearing of this love music. Well, here is the most tangible proof on record of just how ecstatically splendid Wagner can be in the hands of the right singers, conductor and orchestra. Domingo seems created for these two roles, even though he has done little Wagner during his long and thoughtful career. His rendering of the Liebestod leaves us breathless. Voight shines with a radiance on the top and a warmth in the lower register that is simply staggering. And underlining all of this is Pappano's sweeping and tender conducting. Prepare yourself to sail the heights of romanticism and lyricism. Play this disc, alone, in the dark, and all the mundane distractions of our world evaporate! Indulge!"

Stirring rendering of two of Wagner's Masterpieces

James Walters | Seattle, WA USA | 08/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Both Deborah Voigt, and Placido Domingo soar their powerful instruments over the lush orchestrations of two of Wagner's most famous love scenes. Pappano's leading of the orchestra is exceptional, and he brings pathos out of the score that have been look over in the recent years. He is quickly establishing himself as one of the most important conductors of the new century. Voigt, and Domingo who are both know for their renditions of the less dramatic Walkure twins, bring beautiful bel canto singing to the lines of Wagner's Music. Their beautiful singing of this music makes it that much more enjoyable. It is wonderful to hear a Siegfried, and a Tristan (other than Vickers, and Heppner) sing a complete phrase, instead of abruptly cutting off every held note.The concert ending for Tristan und Isolde is enjoyable, if only a little anti-climatic. I also wish they had started the duet with Tristan's entrace, "Isolde! Tristan! Geliebte!" I would have loved to hear Domingo and Voigt sing this exciting part. While I don't imagine Voigt or Domingo will be performing these roles on stage any time soon, the recorded sound is gorgeous. Overall a wonderful recital, easily recommended to Wagner enthusiasts, or those coming to Wagner for the first time."

Passionate "new" Wagner, superbly conducted and sung

Joy Fleisig | New York, NY United States | 01/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There were many reasons to eagerly anticipate this disc. Most importantly, it is the world-premiere of the 'concert version' of the great Act II love duet from `Tristan and Isolde', something of interest to even casual admirers of Wagner, not just scholars and fanatics. It is also Placido Domingo's first foray into repertory that both he and his admirers had wanted him to sing for years, but he kept putting off due to worries it was bad for his voice. The recording would also feature the grossly underrecorded Deborah Voight, one of the greatest dramatic sopranos of our time, and I was also eager to hear the Lithuanian mezzo Violeta Urmana, who got rave reviews for her Kundry at Bayreuth. Finally, to put the icing on the cake, this is Antonio Pappano's first recording with the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, which he will shortly assume the musical directorship of, and we needed to hear what they would make of each other.It was actually as a conductor of Wagner that Pappano first came to international attention - he replaced Christoph von Dohnanyi in 'Siegfried' at Vienna - so it is no surprise that what he does here is extraordinarily impressive. Also, much of what Massenet does in 'Werther' looks forward to Wagner, and he conducts this opera magnificently. Admittedly, it would probably take hearing him conduct or record an ENTIRE Wagner opera, not just excerpts, to truly judge him in this repertory, but what he does here is splendid. He is essentially a man of the theatre and always supremely sensitive to and supportive of singers. Pappano brings out all the drama, passion, tenderness, longing and eroticism of this music with superb dynamic control and pacing. He seems to have a very good rapport with the orchestra as well, and that bodes very well for the future of Covent Garden.Certainly Domingo and Voight made a glorious pair as Siegmund and Sieglinde in `Die Walkure' at the Met. The question was would they be ready for the much heavier roles of Siegfried and Brunnhilde. While I'm not sure they quite reach the heights of some of the greatest Siegfrieds and Brunnhildes on record, their Siegfried duet is still an impressive achievement. Even if Domingo doesn't sound like a teenage Siegfried (neither does anyone else!) it is still impossible to believe that this man turns 60 this month. It is an ardent, passionate performance, if slightly generalized, and while a native might have problems with his German, I don't. Unlike Jane Eaglen, Voight doesn't knock you out of your chair on 'Heil dir, sonne' - her voice doesn't have quite Eaglen's richness and amplitude, although I suspect that might be partially due to distant miking. The lyricism of Voight's voice suggests a very young Brunnhilde, not innappropriate because I've always thought of her as an all-powerful super-teen. She is at her best in the 'Ewig var ich' section, rising to extraordinary beauty and tenderness in the line 'O Siegfried! Herrlicher! Hort der Welt!'. Voight still needs to do some work to bring out Brunnhilde's awakening humanity, although she already shows her fear of Siegfried's intense passion and the inner confusion it generates. The potential for an at least very good Brunnhilde is definitely there, and I would love to hear record more Wagner. How about a solo disc, EMI, some other company?The 'Tristan und Isolde' duet is simply astonishing. I've always found this music dense and difficult, but now I finally understand why people are so deeply moved by it. Without the sudden arrival of King Marke that takes place in the opera, here the lovers actually have a happy ending in soaring phrases from the Liebestod. Whatever slight reservations I have about them in 'Siegfried', both Domingo and Voight are vocally and dramatically perfect for their roles here. The effect of them reaching such passionate heights along with Pappano and the orchestra is overwhelming. And even with distant recording and singing for a grand total of maybe 3 minutes, Urmana makes a major impression as Brangane - I eagerly await her Metropolitan Opera debut in 'Parsifal' in April 2001. I hope at some point this team actually does this duet live in concert - can you imagine what the impact would be if it's this effective on record?My one qualm is with the documentation. Either no one bothered to tell the critic who wrote the notes that this wasn't the standard version of the 'Tristan' duet, or he failed to take that into account. There is no information on the origin of the concert version or on the difference between it and the version used in the opera - and this is information we need to know. It is nice that they included a picture of Urmana as well as the two stars and Pappano, but some biographies of the artists would have been welcome.For various reasons, I have become accustomed to Wagner only very slowly and somewhat reluctantly. This is a perfect disc to introduce Wagner to those who are skeptics and neophytes, especially those who are also admirers of any of the artists involved. I am now eagerly looking forward to the disc of Wagner arias Domingo will be recording under Pappano, and, finances permitting, I might even try to go to London in 2002-2003 to see Pappano conduct 'Lohengrin'!"

Waxing and Waning Wagnerians

Ed Beveridge | London, England | 04/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Two duets seems very mean for an entire album. Yet that's what we have on this CD - most of the last scene of Siegfried and a hefty chunk of Tristan Act 2. And it's an interesting recording for a number of reasons.Firstly, it's good - great - to hear Pappano conducting his soon-to-be own band. He is slated to conduct a Ring cycle at Covent Garden 2005 and on this evidence it isn't likely to disappoint. He really has the measure of this music, and manages to contrast the moonlit passion of Tristan (all darksomely glowing orchestral undertones) with the fierce sunlight of Siegfried - the sound he manages to coax from the Orchestra is somehow much brighter and more open. Very clever. He has the broad sweep, the internal drive of these long scenes and he makes a real success of them.As far as the singers are concerned, it's a fascinating combination. Domingo is nearing the end of his career and it looks as though Tristan and Siegfried will be forever out of his reach (more's the pity). Voigt, on the other hand, is approaching her prime, and has yet to scale the dizzy heights of Isolde and Brunnhilde. So we are faced with a seasoned Siegmund and Sieglinde facing together new territory. Domingo is taxed to his limit by Siegfried but supplies the excitement and fascination of the young man's mountain-top discovery with some really powerful climaxes. His Tristan is altogether more subtle and subdued, a really well-internalised reading of this anti-passionate love scene. His previous Wagnerian qualities are there in abundance and in addition his tone is more burnished, darker and more mature. Voigt's bright, beautiful soprano is (unlike most)unfazed by Brunnhilde's high tessitura, and she attacks the high Cs with great courage. She doesn't have the power that Birgit Nilsson had but the voice copes well. As Isolde (a part that surely can't be far off) she sounds well at home. Praise, too, for Violeta Urmana who miraculously manages to stay in tune as Brangaene.A really satisfying disc, then. For sheer quality, it has to be awarded top marks."

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