NEW YORK (AP) – Wagner makes nearly impossible vocal demands on his hero in the final act of “Tristan und Isolde,” but for Stuart Skelton that “nearly” makes all the difference.
Mortally wounded and mostly delirious, Tristan must hold forth at fever pitch for 40 minutes with few interruptions, recounting his tragic life and awaiting Isolde’s arrival.
“There aren’t many breaks, but he gives you just enough,” the Australian tenor said in an interview at the Metropolitan Opera, where he opened the season in a new production. Saturday’s performance will be shown live in HD in movie theaters around the world.
“Even Wagner knew by then what was humanly achievable and what wasn’t,” said Skelton, who first sang the role this past March. “After a huge outburst … the next thing he sings is this incredibly beautiful, transparently scored section. It’s only two pages and then he goes berserk again, but fortunately not long after that I sing ‘Isolde’ and die, so we’re in relatively good shape!”
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