Tristan and Isolde/Glyndebourne

Yesterday I returned to Glyndebourne for the second time in a week for their production of Richard Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde.  They are arguably the most famous lovers in opera, that is, if we regard Romeo and Juliet as less the opera of Gounod and more the theatre of William Shakespeare.

So the chemistry between the two is essential, particularly as Isolde’s maid substitutes a love potion for poison which leads to a sexually-charged coupling with Tristan.

I imagined Tristan as a romantic medieval Sir Galahad le chevalier sand peur et sans reproche but this Tristan physically resembled Friar Tuck and Isolde an East German discus thrower.

Thus the chemistry was not there and I found myself concentrating on the music.

Robin Ticchiati conducted the Royal Philharmonic with brio and deservedly took centre stage at the curtain call.

Wagner is a wonderful orchestrator although my friend – a great Wagnerian disciple and aficionado – and his wife pointed out that, because of his anti-semitism, he might well be cancelled today.

He was also a notorious womaniser and reckless with money but, boy, he could write an opera.

The set too was sparse and rather grim.

My friend sent me a review he’d found in which the critic argued that it was up to the patron to envision the music and the set had generated a sense of expansiveness.

For me the two hulks failed to inspire me so.

When I joined my friends for dinner between the second and third Acts this proved most enjoyable, but only after an hour did we talk of the opera and the verdict was negative.

Nonetheless, the auditorium was full and Glyndebourne, which exists without Government subsidy, can be proud of that.