Tristan und Isolde discography

Principal Selections

1928, Bayreuth

Gunnar Graarud, Tristan
Ivar Andrésen, King Marke
Nanny Larsén-Todsen, Isolde
Rudolf Bockelmann, Kurwenal
Joachim Sattler, Melot
Anny Helm, Brangäne
Hanns Beer, Shepherd
Gustav Rödin, Sailor
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra,
Karl Elmendorf

Recorded July 1928, Bayreuth Festspielhaus

An abridged performance, originally issued on 40 sides, as follows:

Act 1

Prelude (Part 1) WAX3934-7
Prelude (Part 2) WAX3935-6 Col L2187
"Westwärts scheift..." (Sailor) WAX3936-6
"Entartet' Geschlecht!" (Isolde) WAX3937-2 Col L2188
"Darf ich die Antwort sagen?" (Kurwenal) WAX3938-3
"Wie lachend sie mir Lieder singen" (Isolde) WAX3939-3 Col L2189
"Den als Tantris" (Isolde) WAX3940-3
"Welcher Wahn!" (Brangäne) WAX3941-4 Col L2190
"Begehrt, Herrin, was Ihr wünscht" (Tristan) WAX3942-3
"Nicht da war's, wo ich Tantris barg" (Isolde) WAX3970-3 Col L2191
"Wie sorgt' ich schlecht" (Isolde) WAX3943-2
"Geleitest du mich" (Isolde) WAX3944-1 Col L2192
"Betrug auch hier?" (Isolde) WAX3945-4
"Was träumte mir?" (Isolde) WAX3946-3 Col L2193

Act 2

["Motives and their function in the Opera" (First Series) (in English) by Ernest Newman] 9 November 1928 WAX4276-1
Prelude and opening scene WAX3971-4 Col L2194 [(in French) by M. Schneider & M. Berard] 14 January 1929 WLX805-1
Prelude and opening scene WAX3971-4 Col L2194A
"Nicht Hörnerschall tönt so hold" (Isolde) WAX3972-4
"Dein - Werk?" (Isolde) WAX3973-4 Col L2195
"Isolde!" "Tristan!" "Geliebter!" (Tristan, Isolde) WAX3974-3
"Dem Tage! " (Tristan) WAX3975-2 Col L2196
"Dem Neid, den mir der Tag erweckt' (Tristan) WAX3976-3
"O Heil dem Tranke!" (Tristan) WAX3977-4 Col L2197
"O sink' hernieder, Nacht der Liebe" (Tristan, Isolde) WAX3978-3
"Wonne-hehrstes Weben" (Tristan, Isolde) WAX3979-2 Col L2198
"Neid'sche Wache!" (Isolde) WAX3980-4 "Was stürbe dem Tod" (Tristan) WAX3981-4 Col L2199
"O ew'ge Nacht!" (Tristan, Isolde) WAX3982-4
"Der öde Tag - zum letzten Mal!" (Tristan) WAX3947-2 Col L2200
"Wozu die Dienste ohne Zahl" (King Marke) WAX3948-4
"Diese wundervolle Weib" (King Marke) WAX3949-4 Col L2201
"O König" (Tristan) WAX3983-4 "Als für ein fremdes Land" (Isolde) WAX3984-4 Col L2202

Act 3

["Motives and their function in the Opera" (Second Series) (in English) by Ernest Newman] 9 November 1928 WAX4277-1
Prelude WAX3950-3 Col L2203 [(in French) by M. Schneider & M. Berard] 14 January 1929 WLX806-1
Prelude WAX3950-3 Col L2203A
"Kurwenal! He!" (Shepherd) WAX3951-3
"Das Schiff! Siehst du's doch nicht?" (Tristan) WAX3952-4 Col L2204
"So bange Tage" (Isolde) WAX3985-4
"Tod den Alles" (King Marke) WAX3953-5 Col L2205
Liebestod (Part 1) WAX3986-4
Liebestod (Part 2) WAX3987-3 Col L2206

78: Columbia L2187/2206; LCX 64/83; DWX 1273/91; 266297/315; M-101 and OP-23 (67487-D-67505-D); MM-101 and MOP-23 (71062-D - 71080-D)

LP: Columbia Entré EL-11 (3 LPs) (1953); EMI 1C 181-03 031/33M (3 LPs) (1976)

CD: Malibran Music CDRG 102 (3 CDs) (1998); One for You/Arkadia 78052 (1999); Complete/Grammofono AB 7892526 (1999); Preiser 90383 (2 CDs) (1999); Naxos Historical 8.110200-02 (3 CDs) (2003); Cantus Classics 5.00402 (1 CD) (2004); Arkadia 78052 (2 CDs) (2004)

Note: this abridged version may also be described as consisting of ten discrete parts, as follows:

a. Act 1, from Prelude to the beginning of Scene 2: "Weh'! Ach wehe, mein Kind!" (Young Sailor) (WAX 3934/37) (16'32")
b. Act 1, from Scene 2: "Darf ich die Antwort sagen?" (Kurwenal) to Scene 3: "Tod uns Beiden!" (Isolde) (WAX 3938/40) (12' 21")
c. Act 1, Scene 3, from "Welcher Wahn?" (Brangäne) to "ihn bannte der Minne Macht" (Brangäne) (WAX 3941) (4' 6")
d. Act 1, Scene 5 (complete): from "Begehrt, Herrin, was ihr wünscht" (Tristan) to the end of the Act (WAX 3942, 3970, 3943/46) (24' 28")
e. Act 2, from Prelude to the beginning of Scene 1: "gilt ihre Jägers-List" (Brangäne) (WAX3971/72) (8' 07")
f. Act 2, from the end of Scene 1: "Dein Werk? O thör'ge Magd!" (Isolde) to Scene 2: "Nie erwachen!" (Isolde); then 22 bars omitted: from"Soll der Tag noch Tristan wecken?" (Tristan) to "Ewig währ' uns die Nacht!" (Isolde); from "O ew'ge Nacht!" (Tristan, Isolde) to Scene 3: "Rette dich, Tristan!" (Kurwenal); then 22 bars of the linking orchestral passage omitted; from "Der öde Tage zum letzten Mal!" (Tristan) to the end of the Act, with 13 bars omitted from King Marke's lines (from "Die kein Himmel erlöst" to "warum mir diese Schmach?") (WAX 3973/82, 3947/49, 3983/84) (60' 58")
g. Act 3, from the Prelude to the beginning of Scene 1: "Was hat's mit un'rem Herrn?" (Shepherd) (WAX 3950/51) (8' 40")
h. Act 3, Scene 1, from "Das Schiff - siehst du's noch nicht?" (Tristan) to "Isolde! wie schön bist du!" (Tristan) (WAX 3952) (4' 22")
i. Act 3, Scene 2, from "So bange Tage wachte sie sehnend" to "er wacht! Geliebter" (Isolde) (WAX 3985) (4' 08")
j. Act 3, from "Todt denn Alles!" (King Marke) to the end of the Act (WAX 3953, 3986/87) (11' 08")

Excerpts from this set have appeared as follows:

a. Act 2: "Nicht Hörnerschall..." WAX 3972-4 and Act 2: "Dein Werk?" WAX 3973-4
in "Stätte der Tradition - Festspielhaus Bayreuth - Folge I": Electrola E 83 387 (1 LP) (1963); WCLP 819 (1 LP) (1964)

b. Act 1: "Westwärts scheift..." WAX 3936-3
Act 1: "Entartet Geschlecht!" WAX 3937-2
Act 2: "Einsam wachend" WAX 3979-2
Act 2: "Wohin nun Tristan..." WAX 3983-4
Act 3: "Kurwenal! He! ..." WAX 3951-3
in "Sänger auf dem grünen Hügel": EMI 1C 181-30 669/78 (10 LPs) (1976)

c. Act 2: "Wohin nun Tristan..." WAX 3983-4
in "100 Jahre Bayreuther Festspiele": EMI 1C 049-30 679M (1 LP) (1976)

d. Act 2: "Dein Werk?" WAX 3973-4
in "Les Introuvables du Chant Wagnérien": EMI Pathé 2902123 (6 LPs) (1984); in "Les Introuvables du Chant Wagnérien - Wagner Singing on Record - Wagner-Gesang auf Schallplatte": EMI CMS 7 64008 2 (4 CDs) (1991)

e. Act 1: "Darf ich die Antwort ...?" WAX 3938-3/39-3/40-3
in "Nanny Larsén-Todsen": Preiser LV 174 (1 LP) (1974)

f. Act 3: "Mild und leise" WAX 3986-4/87-3
also on 78s: Columbia 67505D; 71062/63-D; DWX 1291; 266315; and in "Nanny Larsén-Todsen": Preiser LV 174 (1 LP) (1974); and in "Swedish Opersingers at the Metropolitan Opera 1893 - 1947": Bluebell B 196 (1 LP) (1987)

g. Act 3: "Todt denn alles..." to the end of the Act WAX3953-5/86-4/87-3
in "Bayreuth ses grands interpretes Wagner": Victorie Music 290 252 (1 CD) (1990)

h. Act 1: "Darf ich die Antwort sagen?" WAX3938-3
in "Rudolph Bockelmann": Preiser 89121 (1 CD) (1995)

i. Act 2: "O König..." WAX 3983-4
in "Four Scandinavian Tenors of the Past": Preiser 89986 (1997)

j. Act 2: "Tatest du's wirklich?" to "meiner Ehren Ende erreiche?" (King Marke) (10' 17")
in "Wagner, Tristan und Isolde - Szenen": Hamburger Archiv für Gesangkunst HAG W505 (1 CD) (ca. 2002)