On May 19, Omer Meir Wellber will conduct the premiere of Richard Wagner’s “Tristan and Isolde” at Teatro Massimo in Palermo where Wellber has been Music Director since 2020. With this new production directed by Daniele Menghini, the opera returns to Teatro Massimo after 60 years.
“Wagner’s ‘Tristan and Isolde’ represents a moment of great importance for the music history which it has changed, for the better or for worse. The complexity of the opera, notoriously among the most difficult to stage, makes it one of the most challenging productions of the Teatro Massimo’s season, but it would be so for any other theater in the world. The score deals with common themes such as love, betrayal, forgiveness but does so with such immense depth that it requires the orchestra, with whom we have reached a very high level of preparation in Palermo, to give voice to the subconscious of the characters, revealing their unexpressed thoughts.”, says Omer Meir Wellber.
The cast of “Tristan and Isolde” includes Swedish soprano Nina Stemme who will give her final performance as Isolde after 30 years of being a leading interpreter of the role. In the first two performances, the part of King Marke will be performed by German bass René Pape.
May 19, Palermo, Teatro Massimo, 6.30 pm Premiere
Richard Wagner: Tristan and Isolde
Libretto by Richard Wagner
Conductor: Omer Meir Wellber
Director: Daniele Menghini
Scene Designs: Davide Signorini
Costume Designs: Nika Campisi
Lighting Designs: Gianni Bertoli
Dramaturgy: Davide Carnevali
Assistant Director and Dramaturgy of the image: Martin Verdross
Coreographic Movements: Davide Tagliavini
Music Director Assistant: Tohar Gil
Second Assistant Director: Giovanni Ciacci
Teatro Massimo Chorus, Orchestra and Ballet
Chorus Master: Salvatore Punturo
Ballet Master: Jean-Sébastien Colau
Cast
Tristan: Michael Weinius (19, 22, 29) / Samuel Sakker (24, 26, 31)
König Marke: René Pape (19, 22) / Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev (24, 26, 29, 31)
Isolde: Nina Stemme (19, 22, 29) / Allison Oakes (24, 26, 31)
Kurwenal: Andrei Bondarenko
Melot: Miljenko Turk
Brangäne: Violeta Urmana (19, 24, 29) / Irene Roberts (22, 26, 31)
Ein junger Seemann/Ein Hirt: Andrea Schifaudo
Ein Steuermann: Arturo Espinosa
Other performances: May 22, 24, 26, 29, 31