“I can assure you that this production will be unlike anything anyone has seen at the Met or anywhere.” – Met Opera General Director Peter Gelb, via the NY Times
The hottest ticket in town – well, in opera, anyway – has to be Tristan und Isolde , Wagner’s transcendent, groundbreaking love story which opens tonight at the Metropolitan Opera. This production ushers in a number of firsts: it will be the first staged Tristan led by Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who has previously conducted Wagner’s Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin and Parsifal at the Met. The new production is by the provocative American director Yuval Sharon, who makes his Met debut tonight following six years as artistic director of Detroit Opera. And, it will mark the role debuts for Michael Spyres as Tristan and Ryan Speedo Green as King Marke, and will only be the second time Lise Davidsen has sung Isolde, following her role debut eight weeks ago in Barcelona.
Even though this Tristan is one of the most anticipated Met productions in recent memory, it is not without controversy. As big a draw as Davidsen is – she is undoubtedly the leading dramatic soprano of our day, with an overpowering voice and magnetic stage presence – it remains to be seen if Green and especially Spyres will be up to the task. Sharon’s regietheater productions have often been met with mixed reviews, if not outright rejection: this production cost some $3.6 million to mount, at a time in which they are supposedly desperate for cash. And, central to Es Devlin’s set design is a “centerpiece…which will transform over the three acts,” which sounds eerily similar to Robert Lepage’s notorious “Machine” from the last Ring cycle. (Throwing caution to the wind, the Met has already engaged Sharon to direct its new Ring, starting in 2027-28.)
Tonight’s performance is sold out – as is most of the run – but you can still listen in, courtesy of the Met’s free livestream. The festivities start at 6:30pm and won’t end until nearly midnight. Grab some popcorn and your favorite beverage, and settle in for a long night.