Premiere of Tristan und Isolde in Weimar

Tristan und Isolde, Nationaltheater in Weimar, January 22 2011

Karsten Wiegand ..... Director
Stefan Solyom ..... Conductor

Franco Farina ..... Tristan
Marion Ammann ..... Isolde
Hidekazu Tsumaya ..... König Marke
Tuija Knihtilä ..... Brangäne
Sebastian Noack ..... Kurwenal
Alexander Günther ..... Melot
Szabolcs Brickner ..... A shepherd/A young sailor
Andreas Koch ..... A steersman

Staatskapelle Weimar, Chorus of DNT Weimar 

Tristan in Weimar

Franco Farina turned his Tristan adventure into a major success. How could you expect this to happen? He has a thing for heavy Verdian roles, but Tristan is a whole different 'beast'. And yet he managed to sing it through as if it was a piece of cake -- with incredible vocal freshness in Act-3. Definitely one of the most compelling Tristan we were able to listen to in years.
Like everyone else Farina too was struggling with "piani" in the middle of Act-2, but what he was able to pull in Act-3 was beyond astonishing!
It remains to be seen if he can sustain this level of singing for a longer period of time. In any case for his first take on Tristan he deserves a huge BRAVO!  Marion Ammann's Isolde didn't lack stamina either: very powerful performance by this mighty lady in this humanly-sized theater!

Triumphant Marion Ammann and Franco Farina

I'm unsure what to think about Karsten Wiegand's show: there were good (Act-1), bad (Act-2) moments, and a bit of both in Act-3 (I liked his loopy Faust in Berlin with Poplavskaya, Castronovo and Pape, and I loved his Stuarda - which I thought was a lesson of audacity! Tristan is maybe just too big?)

Will post more about the last night's premiere tomorrow... Now I have a train to catch.

Otello at Théâtre des Champs Elysées: Queen Anja

Otello, Théâtre des Champs Élysées, October 9 2010

Daniel Harding ..... Conductor

Ben Heppner Franco Farina ..... Otello

Anja Harteros ..... Desdemona

Franco Vassallo ..... Jago

Alexey Dolgov ..... Cassio

Christina Dalestska ..... Emilia

Emanuele Giannino ..... Rodrigo

Stanislav Shevts ..... Lodovico

Giovanni Guagliardo ..... Montano / Herold

Mahler Chamber Orchestra

WDR Rundfunkchor Köln

Les Petits Chanteurs de Strasbourg - Maîtrise de l'Opéra national du Rhin