Tristan und Isolde: Leonard Bernstein (1981), Peter Hofmann, Hildegard Behrens, Bernd Weikl, Hans Sotin, Yvonne Minton
Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Tristan: Peter Hofmann
Isolde: Hildegard Behrens
Brangäne: Yvonne Minton
König Marke: Hans Sotin
Kurwenal: Bernd Weikl
Melot: Heribert Steinbach
Seemann Thomas Moser
Hirt: Heinz Zednik
Steuermann: Raimund Grumbach
Chorus of the Bavarian Radio (Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
Solo wooden trumpet: Chandler Goetting
Solo English horn: Marie-Lise Schüpbach
Chorus master: Heinz Mende
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Bernsteins recording of Tristan und Isolde on Amazon
Bernsteins recording of Tristan und Isolde
On the Liebestod theme pages you can see a clip from one of the concert performances Leonard Bernstein made of Tristan und Isolde (Isolde's Liebestod) in Herkulessaal in Munich in 1981.
Bernstein preferred in later years to record from live performances.
Tristan und Isolde was recorded from independent concerts of each act, held with some months in between. From two of the concerts (of each act) the main material for the recording was made, with two days of remake and corrections.
Leonard Bernstein's recording of Tristan und Isolde is remarkably slow and beautiful. From holding back emotions, Bernstein creates emotions of the warmest and sincerest kind (not the wild and youthful kind from his earlier recordings).
Hildegard Behrens as Isolde
Heinz Zednik, Bernd Weikl, Peter Hofmann and Marie-Lise Schüpbach (Solo English horn)
Bernstein invited to Bayreuth
Bernstein did actually receive invitations to conduct Tristan in Bayreuth. In 1967 Wolfgang Wagner started a dialogue with Bernstein to sign him up for a new production of Tristan. Bernstein wanted to combine his appearance with a recording of the work and with television filming the pre-production and the production itself. In Wolfgang Wagner's opinion at the time, this was too much for a premiere year. The productions in Bayreuth are known for being works-in-progress. Wolfgang Wagner didn't like the idea that the premiere year should be presented to the public when so much refinement would be done in the following years. (The famous television production of the Chéreau/Boulez Ring was made the last year the cycle was running (1980).) Contact between Wolfgang Wagner and Bernstein ceased in 1970.
Leonard Bernstein did however visit the Festspielhaus 6 April 1990 "schon vom Tode gezeichnet", as Wolfgang Wagner writes in his autobiography Lebens-Akte. Wolfgang Wagner was out of town (he makes a point of stressing this), so he didn't meet Bernstein zum letzten mal before Bernstein died later that year. "Mir ist berichtet worden, Bernstein habe insbesondere der Orchesterraum des Festspielhauses interessiert. Längere Zeit verweilte er am Dirigentenpult..." Wolfgang Wagner writes.
Bernstein produces a transparent sound with details never heard before (or after). This is a recording with the orchestra in the main role. The orchestra was accordingly placed in front of the singers during the concerts.
Hildegard Behrens is no Kirsten Flagstad (or Waltraud Meier), but she does a descent Isolde. In the foreword of the book Leonard Bernstein: The Last 10 Years, Hildegard Behrens tells about these concerts and how Bernstein helped Peter Hofmann who was making his debut as Tristan. In 1987 Hofmann sang Tristan at Bayreuth. Suffering from Parkinson's disease Hofmann had to later withdraw .
Leonard Bernsteins
recording of Tristan und Isolde on Amazon
Hildegard Behrens: Liebestod (on the Liebestod theme pages)