Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde – Daniel Barenboim, Berliner Philharmoniker (4 CD Discs)

Product Details

• UPC: 745099456825
• Product Type: Music CD Box Set (4 Discs)
• Brand: TELDEC Digital Classics
• MPN (Catalog Number): 4509-94568-2
• Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
• Orchestra/Chorus: Berliner Philharmoniker, Chor der Berliner Staatsoper
• Composer: Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
• Genre: Classical, Opera
• Style: Romantic, Music Drama
• Release Year: 1995 (Copyright Year)
• Recording Type: DDD Digital recording
• Cover Art: Features Gustav Klimt's The Kiss (1908)

Overview

This four-CD box set presents a landmark digital recording of Richard Wagner's monumental music drama, Tristan und Isolde. Conducted by the celebrated Daniel Barenboim, the recording features the incomparable Berliner Philharmoniker and a stellar cast of singers, capturing the intense passion and revolutionary harmonic language of Wagner's score. The opera, based on the medieval legend of star-crossed lovers Tristan and Isolde, is a profound exploration of love, death, and transfiguration, with its innovative use of chromaticism—particularly the famous "Tristan chord"—heralded as a pivotal moment in music history. Barenboim's interpretation is noted for its dramatic sweep, structural clarity, and the luminous sound he draws from the Berlin Philharmonic, making this a definitive modern account of one of opera’s greatest achievements.

Product Features

• Format: 4-CD Box Set, Digital Recording (DDD)
• Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
• Orchestra/Chorus: Berliner Philharmoniker, Chor der Berliner Staatsoper (Chorus Master: Ernst Stoy)
• Featured Soloists (Key Roles): Waltraud Meier (Isolde), Siegfried Jerusalem (Tristan), Matti Salminen (König Marke)
• Total Runtime: Approximately 5 hours 16 minutes (5'16"18')Packaging: Box Set with booklet (presumably containing the libretto and notes).
  • CD 1: 55'13''
  • CD 2: 26'43''
  • CD 3: 77'26''
  • CD 4: 76'16''
• Cover Art: Features Gustav Klimt's iconic painting, The Kiss.
• Recording Data: DDD Digital recording.

Interesting Facts

• The Tristan Chord: The opera is famous for its opening "Tristan chord," an ambiguous, dissonant harmony that immediately establishes the work's emotional tension and is often cited as a catalyst for the breakdown of traditional tonal music in the 20th century. Barenboim's Wagnerian Authority: Daniel Barenboim is recognized globally as a leading interpreter of Wagner, having conducted at the Bayreuth Festival and in major opera houses for decades. His approach to Tristan* emphasizes both the drama of the voices and the sophisticated web of orchestral leitmotifs.
• Cover Art Significance: The choice of Gustav Klimt's The Kiss for the cover art is deliberate, as the painting, created just decades after the opera, visually encapsulates the themes of passionate, eternal, and consuming love that are central to Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.
• The Cast: The cast features prominent Wagnerian singers of the era, including the highly acclaimed Waltraud Meier as Isolde and Siegfried Jerusalem as Tristan, both known for their compelling stage presence and vocal stamina required for these demanding roles.

Track Listing (Detailed track listing by scene is not visible, but the main soloists by role are listed on the cover.)

Siegfried Jerusalem (Tristan) Matti Salminen (König Marke) Waltraud Meier (Isolde) Falk Struckmann (Kurwenal) Johan Botha (Melot) Marjana Lipovšek (Brangäne) Peter Maus (Ein Hirt) Roman Trekel (Ein Steuermann) Uwe Heilmann (Ein junger Seemann)

Chor der Berliner Staatsoper Berliner Philharmoniker DANIEL BARENBOIM

CD 1: 55'13'' CD 2: 26'43'' CD 3: 77'26'' CD 4: 76'16''

Publishers

• Label: TELDEC CLASSICS INTERNATIONAL GMBH, Hamburg, Germany
• Distributor: Warner Music Manufacturing Europe
• Copyright: ℗ 1995 TELDEC CLASSICS INTERNATIONAL GMBH, Hamburg, Germany
• Publishing Year: © 1995 TELDEC CLASSICS INTERNATIONAL GMBH, Hamburg, Germany
• Manufacture: Made in Germany by Warner Music Manufacturing Europe

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