Richard Wagner : Tristan und Isolde

« Simulcast » du Metropolitan Opera House de New York
Le samedi 22 mars 2008, à 12 h 30
Distribution (en ordre d'apparition vocale) : Matthew Plenk (matelot), Deborah Voigt (Isolde), Michelle DeYoung (Brangäne), Eike Wilm Schultze (Kurwenal), Robert Dean Smith (Tristan), Stephen Gaertner (Melot), Matti Salminen (roi Marc), Mark Schonwalter (un berger), James Courtney (un timonier)
Production et mise en scène : Dieter Dorn
Décors et costumes : Jürgen Rose
Éclairages : Max Keller
Chœurs et Orchestre du Metropolitan Opera House de New York dirigés par James Levine

On se souviendra longtemps des déboires qu’a connus la reprise de la production Dieter Dorn de Tristan und Isolde au Met, en 2008. Les malheurs ont commencé avant même la première représentation, lorsque Ben Heppner, qui partageait l’affiche avec Deborah Voigt, annonça son retrait pour cause de maladie. Il fut remplacé au pied levé par son compatriote, le Canadien John Mac Master qui, toutefois, ne devait monter sur scène que pour être frappé d’aphonie et se voir contraint de s’en retirer, sous les huées, après seulement deux soirées. (M. Mac Master est un excellent chanteur qui ne mérite pas une telle ignominie. Espérons qu’il s’en remettra.) Puis vint l’Américain Gary Lehman, dont tout le monde reconnaît qu’il s’est magnifiquement acquitté de sa tâche, non toutefois sans un accident spectaculaire qui aurait pu mal tourner et, surtout, le ridicule de voir sa diva lui tourner le dos et le planter là, en plein duo d’amour. Le pauvre homme, que l’on avait apparemment négligé d’informer que Mme Voigt était souffrante et risquait de ne pas terminer la soirée, était tellement ahuri qu’il continua de chanter sa partie tant que joua l’orchestre, et ce même après qu’on eût baissé le rideau...

C’était le vendredi 14 mars. Huit jours plus tard, le 22, dans la matinée du simulcast, Mme Voigt avait apparemment repris du mieux, assez en tout cas pour affronter son quatrième Tristan. Pour l’occasion, la direction du Met avait jeté son dévolu non sur M. Lehman, mais sur Robert Dean Smith, un autre Américain, un jeune Heldentenor très apprécié en Europe, mais que la maison new-yorkaise avait plus ou moins boudé jusque-là.

Il n’a pas déçu. En dehors d’un physique d’employé de la voirie, « Bob Smith » est doté d’une jolie voix, aussi robuste et puissante que fraîche et jeune, et pas du tout « barytonisante ». Cette voix, après en avoir fait un étalage au premier acte, il a eu l’intelligence de la ménager au deuxième acte, ce qui lui a assuré un triomphe dans son monologue du troisième, alors qu’il réussissait à faire ressortir de grandes beautés de long passage qui, en salle, ne font d’ordinaire que distiller le plus mortel ennui.

Mme Voigt a fait à peu près la même chose, mais avec des résultats inverses. Elle était au meilleur de sa forme au premier acte, et puis a eu l’air de se contenir au deuxième. En réalité il s’agissait davantage d’une retraite imposée à l’artiste par la fatigue et le déclin de ses moyens vocaux que d’un véritable repli stratégique. On a malheureusement pu le constater à la toute fin, lorsqu’elle s’est montrée incapable d’atteindre aux sommets du Liebestod.

On a donc eu droit cet après-midi à un Tristan assez différent de ce qu’on entend d’habitude, quand il s’agit surtout de tirer le meilleur parti de la fin du premier acte et de la première partie du deuxième jusqu’au monologue du roi Marc, soit les pages les plus connues, les plus propres à recueillir les faveurs du public. Dans ce cas-ci, tout s’est passé comme si, face aux défis de la grande scène d’amour qui constitue les deux premiers tiers de ce deuxième acte, les deux chanteurs avaient décidé, l’une de jouer la carte de la prudence, l’autre d’économiser ses moyens pour mieux les faire valoir par la suite, l’un et l’autre comptant sur le chef et l’orchestre pour pallier leurs « réticences ». Il en a résulté une représentation de l’œuvre où l’auditoire était invité à prêter l’oreille et mieux apprécier certains moments que ce n’est le cas d’habitude. Songeons ici notamment au monologue de Tristan, mais aussi à celui de Marc, ici enlevé de main de maître par Matti Salminen, ou à l’ensemble des rôles de Brangäne et de Kurwenal, dans lesquels Michelle DeYoung et Eike Wilm Schultze ont fait une excellente impression.

La production du Met, dirigée par James Levine, est la même que celle que l’on peut voir en DVD (sous étiquette Deutsche Grammophon) et qui met en vedette Ben Heppner et Jane Eaglen. La production en question, on le sait, est loin de faire l’unanimité. Il m’a toujours semblé pour ma part que, à la différence d’autres réalisations de l’œuvre, celle-ci a l’immense mérite d’introduire non seulement de la couleur, mais aussi du mouvement, voire de l’action, dans la plus scéniquement statique des grandes partitions wagnériennes. Hélas, l’auditeur qui ne connaîtrait cette production que par le simulcast qu’on en a fait n’aurait qu’une faible idée de ses qualités, car, ce jour-là, la direction du Met a commis l’erreur de jugement de permettre à son équipe de H(aute)D(éfinition) de capter et de diffuser la représentation sur une multitude d’écrans, jusqu’à une demi-douzaine ! L’artifice technique en question aurait pu contribuer quelque chose de positif à notre expérience artistique s’il avait été utilisé avec intelligence et parcimonie. Au lieu de cela, on a choisi de transformer le simulcast tout entier en une démonstration des diverses prouesses techniques de l’équipement utilisé, dont la capacité de réduire l’image de la scène à un format de « carte postale » dans lequel les décors et les chanteurs apparaissent comme encore plus minuscules que lorsqu’on les voit du fond du poulailler. Très bien, mais à quoi bon?

Quelques jours après ce désastre médiatique, la direction du Met a annoncé qu’elle n’avait pas l’intention de répéter l’expérience au cours de la présente saison. Le public lui en sera certainement reconnaissant.

En attendant, les simulcasts du Met continuent de faire fureur et l’exemple s’étend maintenant à plusieurs maisons européennes, dont la Scala de Milan.

-Pierre Marc Bellemare

Met in HD: Tristan und Isolde

The current run of Tristan und Isolde at the Met has had more than its share of high drama, and not always the desirable kind. It all began with the indisposition of Canadian tenor Ben Heppner. This was supposed to be the much anticipated reprise of his Tristan, one of his most celebrated roles. And he was paired with soprano Deborah Voigt in her first Met Isolde. With these two great singers, supported by Wagnerian luminaries Matti Salminen and Michelle DeYoung, it was a highly anticipated event.

But things did not go smoothly from the start in this ill-starred revival. Heppner was feeling unwell throughout the rehearsal period, suffering from chills and fever. Doctors in New York misdiagnosed it as a "simple" case of virus. According to news report, he flew back to Toronto to undergo tests at the North York General Hospital. He was subsequently diagnosed as having a blood-borne infection that has abscessed in his pelvic region, requiring heavy doses of antibiotics and a surgical procedure to drain the infection. Heppner is still scheduled for the remaining two performances this coming week, although the chance of his singing is unknown. He was replaced in the orchestra rehearsal and the final dress by another Canadian, tenor John Mac Master, who was picked to sing opening night. I heard the broadcast on Sirius Radio. Reportedly suffering from allergies, Mac Master struggled in the middle and lower parts his voice, particularly during the lengthy Act 2 Love Duet. He was able to summon sufficient resources and sang an honorable Act 3. In the end, he had to face, undeservedly, boos from a few members of the Met audience at the final curtain. However, it should be noted that the second solo curtain call, he was met with only cheers.

Given the unfortunate reception for Mac Master, the Met management felt it necessary to find another cover. American tenor Gary Lehman, who has had Wagner experiences but had not sung Tristan previously, was quickly pressed into service. He sang the second performance and was well received by the audience. Like a comedy of errors, it was Voigt's turn to get sick. She walked off the stage during the Act 2 Love Duet due to stomach upset. The curtain came down the the performance resumed shortly with her cover, American soprano Janice Baird. Baird is a well known Wagnerian in Europe and is scheduled to sing Brunnhilde for Seattle in summer 2009. Both leads had a success in the second performance, but the drama didn't end there. The staging of the opening of Act 3 has Tristan prostrate on a raked stage with his head pointed downstage. In the third performance, a malfunction of the stage machinery sent Lehman into the prompter's box, close to the open flame which was part of the staging. The performance came to a grinding halt. Lehman was not hurt and the performance resumed in about 8 minutes with no further incident, thankfully.

With the string of mishaps, the fourth performance yesterday, telecast in movie theatres worldwide, understandably put the production team and the more knowledgeable members of the audience on edge. I am happy to report that everything came together and the result was a terrific performance witnessed by a large international audience. Deborah Voigt appears to have regained a few pounds of the huge amount of weight she had lost. While not everyone agrees that weight and voice have any direct relationship, all I can say is that in her case, she sounds better than she has been since her gastric bypass surgery two years ago. For my money, her modest weight gain now may well have contributed to her improved vocal estate and overall stamina in this punishing role. The voice is better supported, and the top firmer and less shrill. The first of her two high Cs in the beginning of the love duet was particularly strong. Throughout the opera, she sang with gleaming tone, in crystal clear German (unlike the mushy German of Michelle DeYoung, the Brangaene), only tiring during the Liebestod. That last ten minutes found her struggling with flat intonation, particularly near the end, when she fought hard to stay on pitch and largely not succeeding. This is forgivable given the overall quality of her performance. Her acting was more involved than I had previously experienced. She was partnered by American tenor Robert Dean Smith, who has a notable career in Europe, including Bayreuth, in the heldentenor fach. Scheduled to make his Met debut as the Kaiser in Die Frau ohne Schatten in 2009, this performance marked his unscheduled debut, and it was an auspicious one. His Tristan combined beauty of tone with impressive stamina, unflagging in his vocalism throughout the lengthy delirium scene in Act 3. His acting was less interesting, but given he had no rehearsal, it was understandable.

The rest of the cast was strong. Eike Wilm Schulte sang firmly as Kurwenal; Michelle DeYoung an unusually youthful Brangaene, more sisterly than matronly. She started tentatively and sounded underpowered, but quickly warmed up to give an estimable performance. And it was a pleasure to hear the magnificent "black bass" of Matti Salminen as King Marke. It appears age is finally catching up with this great singer, evidenced by an incipient slow vibrato that has crept into his voice. But he is still head and shoulders above the others. James Levine has been much praised in Wagner and for good reason - his conducting has all the power and sweep one has come to expect and he managed to make the five and a half hour opera go by in a flash.

Now to the production itself. I saw this in the house some years ago with Heppner and Eaglen; and that run was subsequenly telecast and released on DVD. I have to say I am not too fond of the Dieter Dorn-Jurgen Rose production, which I find idiosyncratic and visually unsuited to the video camera. With this new attempt which draws upon new HD technology, some of my original complaints have been dispelled. Canadian Barbara Sweete, hired by Peter Gelb to do the telecast, liberally employed split screens and multiple images. It has the effect of creating movement in the opera where there is none. Remember we are dealing with an essentially static work, accentuated by a minimalist, highly formalized production. Sweete succeeded in introducing a certain visual variety. When the multiple images first appeared in Act One, I found the effect striking. But by Act Two, its frequency had increased to such an extent that it was almost distracting - a case of too much of a good thing perhaps. Unlike others who have commented negatively on this, I *liked* the concept of multiple images when it is used judiciously, and in a way that does not impede the drama and the overall context of the piece. Given this technique is still in the experimental stage at the Met, some of these issues will likely be resolved out in future telecasts. On this occasion, there were breathtakingly beautiful moments throughout - particularly memorable was the closeup of the two lovers on a dimly lit stage during a quiet moment near the end of the love duet. Moments like that are simply not accessible to the audience in the theatre, no matter how powerful the opera glass! In the theatre when I last saw the production, the two lovers were seen in silhouette, given the back-lit stage. There was simply no visual nuance possible. In fact, one critic (who shall remain nameless) made the nasty remark that the silhouettes of Heppner and Eaglen looked like two large sacks of garden leaves! What I am driving at is that this production poses special challenges for the live audience and the TV camera. Given the constraints, I thought the videography of this telecast was superb.

Technically, this performance as seen at Cinema 6 at the Sheppard Grande represented the first time that the satellite transmission was flawless - no frozen picture, no distorted sound, just five and a half hours of pure enjoyment. If I were to quibble, strangely the sound in Act 3 was much louder than Acts 1 and 2, and near the upper limit of human tolerance. Other than that, I have no complaints. So kudos to the Met and Sheppard Grande. Let's hope this continues!

Met Tristan und Isolde Suffers Second Setback

Deborah Voigt is the latest star to fall sick in the Metropolitan Opera's current production of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. According to the Associated Press, soprano Deborah Voigt left in the middle of the second act Friday night because of a stomach ailment and was replaced by understudy Janice Baird.

Voigt sang the opener but didn't sound at her best Friday and had trouble with the high notes during the first act.

"She was very heroic," Met general manager Peter Gelb said. "She told me before the second act began that she was feeling sick this morning but she didn't tell us because she didn't want to disturb us. She wanted to be very supportive of Mr. Lehman."

After the first act, Voigt spoke with Gelb and said she was ill.

"We agreed she would start the second act and see how it went," Gelb said.

Baird, Voigt's cover singer, was put on alert during the first intermission, which lasted about 10 minutes longer than usual, and by the start of the second act was standing by.

Voigt signaled near the beginning of the second-act love duet that she couldn't continue and hurried offstage. Music director James Levine kept conducting. Then the curtain came down, Lehman started singing and the orchestra stopped.

An announcement was made that Voigt suddenly had taken ill. Baird got into the costume that Voigt had been wearing and replaced her about 10-15 minutes later. Baird and Lehman received enthusiastic applause at the end of the act.

The production opened on Monday, March 10 with Canadian tenor John Mac Master taking over for an ailing Ben Heppner, who announced that he was still indisposed through the March 22 Simulcast.

Canadian tenor John Mac Master replaces Ben Heppner in Met Opening Night Tristan Monday March 10

Breaking News:

It is official - Canadian tenor Ben Heppner is indisposed and he will be replaced on the opening night performance of Tristan und Isolde opposite the Isolde of Deborah Voigt at the Metropolitan Opera by - another Canadian, tenor John Mac Master. Mac Master had previously sung two performances of Canio in I Pagliacci at the Met in 2005, one of which was broadcast on Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. He has also sung Tristan for the Welsh National Opera.

Heppner appears to have caught some sort of viral flu bug, and Mac Master, who was in New York covering the role, stepped in to sing both orchestra rehearsal and the dress rehearsal.

The Opening night performance on Monday March 10th will be broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio.