“Tristan und Isolde” by Richard Wagner

Premiere / date of written: 1859

“Since I have never in my life enjoyed the true happiness of love, I want to erect a further monument to this most beautiful of all dreams, in which from the beginning to the end, this love should truly satiate itself.” Richard Wagner

It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting. Wagner referred to "Tristan und Isolde" not as an opera, but called it "Eine Handlung" (literally drama or plot).

Libretti

#	Language	Authors
1	German	Richard Wagner
2	English
3	Russian	Виктор Коломийцев

original libretto
line-by-line of the original libretto

Images

Books

Year	Title	Description	Buy
2025	Tristan und Isolde: Side-by-Side German–English Opera Libretto	This edition of Tristan und Isolde presents the complete German libretto by Richard Wagner, one of the most groundbreaking operas in history. The text appears in a side-by-side German–English format, ideal for students, performers, and opera lovers.

Audio recordings

Year	Cast	Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra	Label, Comment	Buy
1948	Tristan — Set Svanholm, Isolde — Kirsten Flagstad, Brangäne — Viorica Ursuleac, King Marke — Ludwig Weber, Kurwenal — Hans Hotter	Erich Kleiber Teatro Colon Buenos Aires Opera	Myto, Cat: H031 Historic Live Performance from the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, recorded August 20, 1948.	$11.03
1952	Tristan — Ludwig Suthaus, Isolde — Kirsten Flagstad, Brangäne — Blanche Thebom, King Marke — Josef Greindl, Kurwenal — Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau	Wilhelm Furtwängler Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra	EMI Classics Naxos Historical Cat: 8.110321-24 Elisabeth Schwarzkopf as Isolde providing some top notes in the Act II Love Duet	$12.37
1966	Tristan — Wolfgang Windgassen, Isolde — Birgit Nilsson, Brangäne — Christa Ludwig, King Marke — Martti Talvela, Kurwenal — Eberhard Wächter	Karl Böhm Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus	Deutsche Grammophon, Cat: 449772 Recording of a performance at the Bayreuth Festival, August	$19.55
1972	Tristan — Jon Vickers, Isolde — Helga Dernesch, Brangäne — Christa Ludwig, King Marke — Karl Ridderbusch, Kurwenal — Walter Berry, Melot — Bernd Weikl	Herbert von Karajan Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus	EMI Classics, Cat: 69319	$119.99
1982	Tristan — René Kollo, Isolde — Margaret Price, Brangäne — Brigitte Fassbaender, King Marke — Kurt Moll, Kurwenal — Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau	Carlos Kleiber Dresden Staatskapelle, Leipzig Radio Chorus	Deutsche Grammophon, Cat. 403202	$20.48
2003	Tristan — Thomas Moser, Isolde — Deborah Voigt, Brangäne — Petra Lang, King Marke — Robert Holl, Kurwenal — Peter Weber, Melot — Markus Nieminen, Shepherd — Michael Roider, Steersman — In-Sung Sim, Sailor — John Dickie	Christian Thielemann Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus	CD: Deutsche Grammophon 474 974-2 (3 CDs) (2004) Recorded 25 May 2003 by Austrian Radio from the Vienna State Opera	$15.20
2004	Tristan — Plácido Domingo, Isolde — Nina Stemme, Brangäne — Mihoko Fujimura, King Marke — René Pape, Kurwenal — Olaf Bär, Melot — Jared Holt	Sir Antonio Pappano Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra, Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus	EMI Classics, Cat: 5.58006	$43.30

Video recordings

Year	Cast	Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra, Director	Label, Comment	Buy
1983	Tristan — René Kollo, Isolde — Johanna Meier, Brangäne — Hanna Schwarz, King Marke — Matti Salminen, Kurwenal — Hermann Becht, Melot — Robert Schunk	Daniel Barenboim Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus Jean-Pierre Ponnelle	Unitel 1983, Laserdisc Philips 070-509-1
1995	Tristan — Siegfried Jerusalem, Isolde — Waltraud Meier, Brangäne — Uta Priew, King Marke — Matthias Hölle, Kurwenal — Falk Struckmann, Melot — Poul Elmig	Daniel Barenboim Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus Heiner Müller	Unitel Classica	$25.89
1999	Tristan — Ben Heppner, Isolde — Jane Eaglen, Brangäne — Katarina Dalayman, King Marke — René Pape, Kurwenal — Hans-Joachim Ketelsen, Melot — Brian Davis	James Levine Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus Dieter Dorn	Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 073 044-9	$11.52

External links

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Jonathan Brown's discography Comprehensive historical discography of Tristan und Isolde on record, covers the years from the earliest recordings, in 1901, to those issued by the end of 2004. It does not include those released after 2004.