Tristan und Isolde discography

Principal Selections

1942-1943, Buenos Aires and New York

Lauritz Melchior, Tristan
Herbert Janssen, Kurwenal
[unidentified Isolde]
Colon Opera House Orchestra, Columbia Opera Orchestra,
Roberto Kinsky (a., and d. to j.) Erich Leinsdorf (b. and c.)

a. Act 3: Prelude (4' 15") (without the cor anglais solo)
C 13117 Buenos Aires, 71600-D; MM 550
9 September 1943 71595-D; M 550

b. Act 3:, Scene 1: from "Die alte Weise" (Tristan) to "sie trogen dich dort zum Strand" (Kurwenal) (4' 30")
XCO 32713-I New York, 71601-D; MM 550
15 April 1942 71595-D; M 550

c. Act 3, Scene 1: from "Nun bist du daheim" (Kurwenal) to "göttlich ew'ges Ur-Vergessen!" (Tristan) (4' 20")
XCO 32714-I New York, 71602-D; MM 550
15 April 1942 71596-D; M 550

d. Act 3, Scene 1: from "Wie schwand mir seine Ahnung?" (Tristan) to "bringt dir Isolde hier" (Kurwenal) (with Tristan's words "Isolde noch ... von ihr mich scheuchte?" omitted) (4' 22")
C 13103-I Buenos Aires, 71603-D; MM550
6 September 1943 71596-D; M 550

e. Act 3, Scene 1: from "Isolde kommt!" to "Kurwenal, siehst du es nicht?" (Tristan) (3' 02")
C 13104-I Buenos Aires, 71604-D; MM 550
6 September 1943 71597-D; M 550

f. Act 3, Scene 1: from "Noch ist kein Schiff zu sehn!" (Kurwenal) to "der furchtbare Trank!" (Tristan) (with Tristan's words "Muss ich dich so versteh'n ... Zu welchem Los?" omitted) (3' 58")
C 13105-I Buenos Aires, 71604-D; MM 550
6 September 1943 71597-D; M 550

g. Act 3, Scene 1: from "Wie vom Herz zum Hirn" (Tristan) to"Hat dich der Fluch entführt?" (Kurwenal) (4' 20")
C 13106-I Buenos Aires, 71603-D; MM 550
6 September 1943 71598-D; M 550

h. Act 3, Scene 1: from "O Wonne! Nein!" (Kurwenal) to "Ach, Isolde! wie schön bist du!" (Tristan) (4' 24")
C 13107-I Buenos Aires, 71602-D; MM 550
6 September 1943 71598-D; M 550

i. Act 3, Scene 1: from "Und Kurwenal, wie, du siehst sie nicht?" (Tristan) to "Doch du, Tristan, bleib' mir treulich am Bett!" (Kurwenal) (3' 37")
C 13108-8 Buenos Aires, 71601-D; MM 550
9 September 1943 71599-D; M 550

j. Act 3, Scene 2: from "O diese Sonne!" (Tristan) to "Tristan! Ha!" (Isolde) "Isolde!" (Tristan) (3' 27")
C 13116-I Buenos Aires, 71600-D;MM550
9 September 1943 71599-D; M 550

78: Columbia sets M-550 and MM-550; Columbia (Argentina) 266404-7 (except b. and c.)
LP: Odyssey 32160145 (1 LP) (1967) (except a.); CBS Classics 61090 (1 LP) (1969) (except a.)
CD: in "Great Operas at the Met - Tristan und Isolde": MET 506-CD (2 CDs) (1989) (except a.); in CBS MPK 46454 (1 CD) (1990) (except a.); parts of f. and g. only [from "Noch ist kein Schiff zu sen'n!" (Kurwenal) to "Verflucht, wer dich gebraut" (Tristan) (6' 24")] in "Wagner, Tristan und Isolde - Szenen": Hamburger Archiv für Gesangkunst HAG W505 (1 CD) (ca. 2002)

Note: none of the records is explicit about which conductor and orchestra is responsible for which excerpt. Nor is the Isolde identified. The MET set contains the text of the excerpts, in German and English, and general information about the recording dates and matrices. The transfers to CD were made at different speeds, the CBS transfers of each excerpt being about 5" faster than the corresponding MET transfers.