For the first time, Conductor Gustavo Dudamel will conduct the Tristan Project, the remarkable production of Richard Wagner’s opera “Tristan und Isolde,” directed by Peter Sellars with video by trailblazing visual artist Bill Viola. Project was first performed in 2004, premiering with the Los Angeles Philharmonic led by Esa-Pekka Salonen before traveling to Paris and New York. This rare opportunity to see the Tristan Project once again on stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall brings together a globally celebrated cast headlined by Michael Weinius and Miina-Liisa Värelä, and also featuring Eric Owens, Okka von der Damerau, Ryan Speedo Green, and Robert Stahley. The production also includes the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Each of the three acts of the opera will be presented in three consecutive concerts, December 9–11* (*matinee) and December 15–17, 2022. CLICK HERE to read one of our staff writer’s reviews.
Wagner’s retelling of the medieval legend of doomed lovers caused a revolution with its unprecedented musical innovation. Beginning with the very first notes, including the famed, unresolved “Tristan chord,” the score expresses the tumultuous yearning of the characters through a continuous unfolding of richly colored harmonies, which have made a profound impact on generations of composers.
American stage director Peter Sellars is renowned for his groundbreaking interpretations of artistic masterpieces both classical and contemporary. Bill Viola has been lauded for his role in establishing video as a vital form of contemporary art, greatly expanding its scope in technology, content, and historical reach. Together, Peter Sellars and Bill Viola employ 21st-century innovation to explore the psychological, spiritual and elemental themes of the Tristan and Isolde story, inspired by Wagner’s own desire to expand what opera could be.
Photo courtesy of Mathew Imaging/LA Phil
Performances will take place in three acts across three days two times (2 weekends) Beware there is ONE matinee on the first weekend only:
1st weekend – Act I: Friday, December 9, 2022, 8:00pm; Act II: Saturday, December 10, 2022, 8:00pm; Act III: Sunday, December 11, 2:00pm (matinee);
2nd weekend – Act I: Thursday, December 15, 8:00pm; Act II: Friday, December 16, 2022, 8:00pm; Act III: Saturday, December 17, 2022, 8:00pm;
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the LA Phil’s website. Programs, artists, prices and dates subject to change. Ticket limits may apply.
What: “Tristan und Isolde,” Gustavo Dudamel
Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
When: Across two weekends – see above
Website: https://www.laphil.com
