Frida Leider and Lauritz Melchior Flood Tristan's Love Duet with Passionate Wagnerian Fire

Disclaimer - I own nothing
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde - "Love Duet" Dir. Albert Coates - 1929
The ultimate Wagnerians of their time singing together? Yes please.

[@simonbullinger7949]

This is just simply incredible singing. Listen to the pianissimo at 12:00 by both of them! They had such strong voices, much stronger than everything we hear today but still were able to sing perfect pianissimi. The range of colors and dynamics tops everything that we are used to today by dramatic singers, but also by singers in general. Wagner composed his works for those singers. I think, if he knew the quality we have today, his works would be much easier to sing.

[@doloresaquilina1112]

Thank you for this incredible performance. I have loved it for many years now. There simply aren't enough adjectives to praise this!

[@henningbeil8797]

Qel bonheute d'écouter cette interprétation. Ces deux-là - je les aime. Ce sont MON Isolde et MON Tristan. C'est dommage que Leider n'ait pas eu la possibilité d'enregistrer le rôle complet.

[@petergiljum]

❤

[@docmalthus]

For the truest recording of the magnificent voices we have the 1939 recording (unfortunately with the leaden conducting of Edwin McArthur). For the truest expression of the music we have this 1929 recording, which takes honors in every category except sound quality (though not bad for the time).

[@aetion]

Thank you, dear Manoli. It's wonderful. BTW, today (4 June) is the 45th death memory of Frida Leider.

[@manolis.799]

I had no idea, thank you.

[@aetion]

Wellcome, Manoli. Frida Leider (leider in German means unforunately!) died on June 4th, 1975 in Berlin, her home city.

[@jasonhurd4379]

@@aetion I was twelve years old when Leider died. I did not yet know her work, and I would not hear one of her recordings until I was sixteen. A transcendent artiste. Thank you for this information!

[@bernhardluecke6437]

Wow 🤩.

[@jasonhurd4379]

There have been only three truly great, all-encompassing, properly multi-dimensional Isoldes on recordings: Frida Leider, Gertrud Grob-Prandl and Linda Esther Gray. But for Tristan there have been but two tenors: Ramon Vinay and Lauritz Melchior. To hear the Dane with his favorite Isolde (NOT Flagstad, contrary to popular belief) is to get a glimpse of what Mr and Mrs Schnorr von Carolsfeld must have sounded like at the premiere. Thank you Manoli!

[@jasonhurd4379]

@Barone Vitellio Scarpia Their placid, phlegmatic, matronly approach puts them both out of court as the wild Irish princess. Isolde is not a middle-aged church singer; she is a young, proud, willful and angry girl, prone to biting sarcasm and bitter recrimination. Then after drinking the potion, she is a creature possessed by erotomania, whose passionate urges are barely being kept in check. The cold, hieratic pronouncements of Flagstad and the complacent, monochromatic warblings of Traubel are singularly inadequate to portray the uncontrollable, untameable nature of Marke's intended bride. Perfect vocalism is where a characterisation of Isolde starts, not where it ends, and a portrayal that draws attention to its vocal qualities, whether good or bad, is a failure. Tristan und Isolde is after all is said and done, a music DRAMA, and any successful performance thereof must give us passionate and sharp-edged characters, not colorless singing machines.

[@jasonhurd4379]

@Barone Vitellio Scarpia De gustibus non est disputandum.

[@aetion]

@ Jason Hurd In the fascist Italy, there was a slogan: "The Duce is always right!" ["ll Duce ha sempre ragione"]. In YT and for me, another slogan is valid: "Jason ha sempre ragione!" :)

[@jasonhurd4379]

@@aetion Hahaha thank you, my friend! That is a great compliment, coming from you! 😀

[@aetion]

You deserve it, by all means, dear Jason.

[@illyaismaili6413]

Nooooo! Why did you cut "Rette dich tristan"?

[@manolis.799]

I didnt cut anything, the recording is incomplete.

[@susannevollmer2347]

Wow! Who is the conducter, please?

[@anaffah]

Frida Leider was the best Wagnerian soprano from her time (and not Kirsten Flagstad, who had a bigger voice but not the perfect style!). And Melchior was the best Wagnerian tenor; after him came Ramon Vinay and Jon Vickers.

[@meisterwue]

Mr Vickers was no singer. He was horrible