Violeta Urmana comes back as Isolde to Birmingham and London
23 and 26 September, 2010. Isolde has dominated Violeta Urmana's professional life for the last few months. After the concert performances of the second act at the BBC Proms and in Baden-Baden with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Sir Simon Rattle, Urmana comes back in September for a few performances with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. Under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen, she will be Isolde in a semi-staged production in Birmingham and London. The installations by video artist Bill Viola, who attracted attention in 2005 with his visualisation of Wagner's opera in Paris, will provide a fascinating optical frame to this musical event.
photo by Christine Schneider
In one of the most passionate love stories ever told, Tristan and Isolde's lives are set on a path to tragedy by the simple replacement of poison for a love potion. Yet this tragedy also results in their all-encompassing love for each other, and the intensity of their passion is expressed through Wagner's sumptuous chromaticism and lush orchestral colours. The opera is one of the peaks of the operatic repertory, and the climax of Isolde's 'Liebestod' is one of the most moving and all-embracing musical moments ever written.
You can read more about the singer here: http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/orchestra/artists/violetaurmana/
Please note the running time of five hours including two intervals.
Thursday 23 September, 5.30pm, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, West Midlands B1 2EA. To book your tickets go to: http://www.thsh.co.uk/view/tristan-und-isolde
Sunday 26 September, 4pm, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
To book tickets go to: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/music/classical/tickets/philharmonia-orchestra-50856
More about the singer you can read here: http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/orchestra/artists/violetaurmana/
