Share Album:

Release Date: November 20, 2020
Catalog #: NV6321
Format: Digital & Physical
Download Album Cover*

Tristan Und Isolde

Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer conductor
Roy Cornelius Smith Tristan
Juyeon Song Isolde

The Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava stuns with a new recording of Richard Wagner's three-act opera TRISTAN AND ISOLDE. Skillfully conducted by German conductor Robert Reimer, this new, vibrant performance is likely to claim its place as one of the reference recordings of Wagner's innovative work.

As novel as the opera was in its time, it didn't go down well with all of the composer's contemporaries. Rossini quipped that while Tristan had great moments, it also had terrible quarter-hours. Worse yet, the author of Wagner's main inspiration was even less impressed: Arthur Schopenhauer, the ingenious German philosopher whose stoic advice to rebuff the animalic Will to Live for happiness's sake underpins large parts of the opera, sided with Rossini (incidentally the thinker's favorite composer). Unluckily for Wagner, it was impossible to discredit Schopenhauer's opinion as that of an amateur: the philosopher played the flute with virtuosic skill, understood music like few others, placed it at the top of all art forms in his philosophy, and justly became a favorite among musicians for his perspicacious assertion that music was one of the few things in which the essence of Being could very briefly be perceived, even if doing so wasn't possible otherwise.

Modern-day Wagnerians will be happy to hear that conductor Robert Reimer and the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava have a more favorable opinion of Wagner, performing the volatile composer's opera with great verve and conviction. It's a splendid pairing to be sure: a much sought-after conductor familiar with orchestras all across Europe, and a wonderful ensemble to do his bidding. This arrangement works to the favor of everyone involved.

Some might wish this recording had existed 160 years ago. To show his appreciation, Wagner had given Schopenhauer a copy of the libretto – and the philosopher liberally made annotations. At one point Wagner writes "The curtain falls quickly", on which the thinker comments in ink: "For it is high time." If Schopenhauer had known this new TRISTAN AND ISOLDE as it is released today, he would likely have reconsidered.

Listen

Hear the full album on YouTube

Stream/Buy

Choose your platform

Buy Album: Amazon (CD & download) Qobuz (24-bit download)

Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
DISC ONE - ACT ONE
01 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90: Vorspiel (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 9:21
02 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act I Scene 1: Westwärts schweift der Blick (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 5:54
03 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act I Scene 2: Frisch weht der Wind (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 4:03
04 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act I Scene 2: Hab acht, Tristan! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 5:30
05 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act I Scene 3: Weh, ach wehe! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 11:15
06 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act I Scene 3: Welcher Wahn, welch eitles Zürnen (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 6:57
07 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act I Scene 3: Ho! He! Ha! He! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 7:17
08 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act I Scene 4: Herr Tristan trete nah (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 8:48
09 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act I Scene 5: War Morold dir so wert (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 10:19
10 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act I Scene 5: Tristan! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 6:37
DISC TWO - ACT TWO
01 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II: Vorspiel (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 1:54
02 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II Scene 1: Hörst du sie noch? (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 12:20
03 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II Scene 2: Isolde! Geliebte! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 8:49
04 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II Scene 2: O sink herneider (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 6:56
05 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II Scene 2: Lausch, Geliebter! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 6:12
06 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II Scene 2: So stürben wir (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 7:23
07 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II Scene 3: Rette dich, Tristan! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 1:53
08 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II Scene 3: Tatest du's wirklich? (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 11:10
09 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II Scene 3: O König, das kann ich dir nicht sagen (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 5:42
10 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act II Scene 3: Verräter! Ha! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 2:13
DISC THREE - ACT THREE
01 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III: Vorspiel (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 6:33
02 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 1: Kurwenal! He! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 3:58
03 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 1: Die alte Weise (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 5:28
04 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 1: Dünkt dich das? (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 7:00
05 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 1: Der einst ich trotzt (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 2:48
06 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 1: Isolde kommt! Isolde naht! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 3:19
07 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 1: Noch ist kein Schiff zu sehn! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 11:35
08 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 1: Bist du nun tot? (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 4:56
09 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 1: Und Kurwenal, wie, du sähst sie nicht? (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 3:41
10 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 2: O diese Sonne! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 3:24
11 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 2: Ha! Ich bin's, ich bin's, süßester Freund! (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 4:52
12 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 3: Kurwenal! Hör! (Live)Tamaro Gallo Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 7:52
13 Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90, Act III Scene 3: Mild und leise wie er lächelt (Live) Richard Wagner Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Robert Reimer, conductor 6:00

Juyeon Song Isolde
Roy Cornelius Smith Tristan
Tamaro Gallo Brangäne
John Paul Huckle King Marke
Brian Davis Kurwenal
Alexander Kaimbacher Melot, Hirt, A young sailor, the Shepherd
Siarhei Zubkevich A steersman
Ostrava Opera Men’s Chorus
Jurij Galatenko choirmaster
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava
Robert Reimer conductor

This performance and Live Recording was possible with Collaboration with Claude Heater Foundation and Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava.

Recorded August 31 - September 1, 2019 at EMANACJE International Music Festival, the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Lusławice, Poland

Recording Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Assistant Recording Engineer Maroš Hlatký
Assistant Recording Engineer Michał Cygan
Photographer Lukáš Mareček
Video Artists Naomie Kremer

TRACK BY TRACK SINGING CREDITS
Juyeon Song Isolde - Disc 1:2-10, Disc 2:2-10, Disc 3:10-13
Roy Cornelius Smith Tristan - Disc 1:3-4,8-10 Disc 2:3-10, Disc 3:2-13
Tamaro Gallo Brangäne - Disc 1:2-10 Disc 2:2,6-10, Disc 3:12,13
John Paul Huckle King Marke - Disc 1:7,8, D2:6-10, Disc 3:12-13
Brian Davis Kurwenal - Disc 1:3-4,7-10, Disc 2:6-10, Disc 3:2-13
Alexander Kaimbacher Melot, Hirt, A young sailor, the Shepherd - Disc 1:2, Disc 2:6-10, Disc 3:2-13
Siarhei Zubkevich A steersman - Disc 3:12

claudeheaterfoundation.org
CEO Juyeon Song
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Robert Reimer
Managing Director for Claude Heater Foundation EU/Asia Mareike Windorf, Win Village Cultural Agency Germany

Executive Producer Bob Lord

Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil

VP, Audio Production Jeff LeRoy
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Editing, Mixing & Mastering Jan Košulič

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Patrick Niland, Sara Warner

Artist Information

Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava

Orchestra

The Janáček Philharmonic is a world-class symphony orchestra based in Ostrava, Czech Republic and an emerging figure on the international performance scene. With over 100 top-level musicians, the orchestra aims to introduce unique, quality repertoire while showcasing their own recognizable sound.

Learn More
Robert Reimer

Robert Reimer

Conductor

German conductor Robert Reimer is certainly one of the most versatile conductors of his generation, from opera to ballet, from baroque to modern, and from traditional symphony concerts to cross-over concerts, Reimer conducts everything with the same passion and great success. In addition, he has been seen and heard regularly in European CD / DVD / radio and TV productions since 2013.

After the recording of this Tristan UND Isolde in the late summer 2019 with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra and international soloists at Penderecki Centre of Music, Poland, Reimer was appointed artistic director and principal conductor of the Claude Heater Foundation based in San Francisco. In this role he will soon conduct apart of the “Isolde Project”, Nabucco, Verdi’s Requiem, the Ring Cycle, and other masterpieces in Europe and the United States.

In the contemporary sphere, Reimer conducted the 2018 world premiere of F. Ledroit’s St. John Passion in the Ludwigshafen Philharmonic with the European Chamber Choir, the German State Philharmonic Orchestra of Rhineland-Palatinate, and international soloists. This St. John Passion has been available on CD from the French label Skarbo since 2019.

In recent years Reimer has made his debut at major opera houses such as the Bavarian State Opera (which invited him again for the next two seasons), the Berlin State Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin (with his own premiere every year since 2011), the Geneve Opera, the Royal Copenhagen Opera, the Finnish National Opera, the Liceu Barcelona, the Copenhagen Opera Festival, and the Stuttgart State Opera. He conducted operas such as Tristan and Isolde, Manon, Freischütz, Eugen Onegin, The Magic Flute, and Katja Kabánova, and ballets such as Peer Gynt, Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Jewels, Bayadère, and Don Quixote.

Reimer is also in demand internationally as a concert conductor, having been invited by orchestras like the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the HR Symphony Orchestra, the German Radio Philharmonic, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich, the Basel Sinfonietta, the Copenhagen Philharmonic, the German State Philharmonic Orchestra of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Royal Chapel Copenhagen, and the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava.

His repertoire includes not only the common works of opera literature but also rarities such as The Dialogues of the Carmelites, Ariadne auf Naxos, Alban Berg’s Lulu, and Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre. The great ballets are also part of his repertoire; his conducting of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker at the Deutsche Oper Berlin were broadcast live on television and are available on DVD from BelAir-Classiques.

In the cross-over area he worked with stars such as Chris de Burgh, Ute Lemper, Till Brönner, Joja Wendt, and Peter Maffay. With the DFOB (German Film Orchestra Babelsberg) he conducts film music recordings (Terrence Malick – Voyage of Time) and Gala Concerts. Since 2013 he has been a regular guest conductor with the orchestra.

Reimer has been on television every year since 2014, both nationally and internationally. Examples include the Final Concert of the Copenhagen Opera Festival with the Malmö Opera Orchestra (2014 + 2015), which was broadcast live on the Danish television DRK, as well as the First Night of the Classic Open Air Berlin (2014-2018) and the Elbland Festival (2015-2019), which were broadcast by Radio Brandenburg Berlin RBB. In addition, his performances at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Geneva Opera were broadcast live on Mezzo-TV in France and on Mondo Classica in Italy.

Future highlights include his debut at the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the first night at the Classic Open Air on the Gendarmenmarkt with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, concerts with French star soprano Patricia Petibon and the Janáček Philharmonic in Poland and the Czech Republic, several appearances at the Copenhagen Opera Festival, as well as his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Vienna State Opera.

www.robertreimer.com

photo: Lukáš Mareček

Juyeon Song

Juyeon Song

Soprano

Rapidly becoming the Isolde of today, soprano Juyeon Song has garnered recognition for her arresting performances of opera’s most dramatic heroines. Effusive praise and admiration from audiences and critics alike for the intensity of her acting balanced with sheer vocal power establish the foundation of her artistry.

Ms. Song creates a rare intimacy and immediate connection with the listener in her performances. Having studied and collaborated with a virtual who’s who of internationally renowned artists, Juyeon’s talent is informed by a rich musical legacy.

Ms. Song appeared as Isolde with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava in the Czech Republic in August 2019. This followed her appearance in the same role under the baton of renowned Maestro Robert Reimer at the Emanacje Festival at The Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Luslawice Poland. Oliver Macdonald of The Vienna Opera Blog wrote about her performance, “Ms. Song sings with great emotional sensitivity and sincerity throughout.”

Hailed as one of the top ten best performances of 2018 in the San Francisco Bay area, Ms. Song’s appearance in the role of Isolde won acclaim for her “unflagging energy throughout the incredibly demanding vocal marathon,” by Joshua Kosman in The San Francisco Classical Voice. The Isolde Project, a concert performance produced by the Claude Heater Foundation under the baton of acclaimed conductor Jonathan Khuner, drew admiration from The San Francisco Chronicle: “Song’s Isolde was marked by capacious vocal power and expressive intimacy.”

In the role of Abigaille, in a production of Verdi’s Nabucco presented by San Francisco’s Claude Heater Foundation in October, 2019, Janos Gereben in The Classical Voice, described Ms. Song’s performance as possessing “high intensity in acting and great vocal power. This balance also figured prominently in the singing: beyond Song's power and high notes in portraying the evil Abigaille (an anti-hero presaging Lady Macbeth), her most remarkable performance came with her quiet, sorrowful final aria, Su me ... morente ... esanime.”

Noted critic Susan Steinberg called her “the most visually believable Aida in memory” who created “an emotional vocal performance that connected viscerally with the audience.” Ms. Song generated record-breaking ticket sales when she performed this role with Berkeley Opera (California) in 2007. Director Yuval Sharon stated in Korean Weekly, “This performance should signal the birth of the next great star”.

In her role as Madame Butterfly for Opera Southwest (New Mexico), The Albuquerque Journal noted Ms. Song’s performance in the title role as a “sympathetic portrayal full of dramatic gesture … emotive and expressive.”

Ms. Song developed her dramatic voice with international heldentenor, Claude Heater in San Francisco. She established her operatic roles and repertory with international luminaries including Daniel Sarge (Vienna State Opera), Wolf Michael Storz (Bayerische Staats Oper), Christoph U. Meier (Bayreuth Festival), Peter Grunberg (San Francisco Opera), Jonathan Khuner (West Edge Opera, Metropolitan Opera), Thomas Bagwell (Royal Danish Opera) and Louise Costigan Kerns (San Francisco Conservatory of Music). Song has sung title roles at Golden Gate Opera, Opera South West, Berkeley Opera, Ruse Opera and Philharmonic Society (Bulgaria). She has appeared with the Belgrade National Opera (Serbia), Ruse Opera and Philharmonic Society (Bulgaria) New Year's Gala, Emanacje Festival at The Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music (Poland) with Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech Republic), Opera Classica Europa (Germany), the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech Republic), and at the Umbra Music Festival (Italy). And, she was the featured soloist in Stabat Mater by Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci broadcast on Vatican TV and RAI, Italy.

Her first Album "Heldin Arias of Wagner & Strauss" by Affertto Recordings distributed by Naxos was released in July 2020. This recording was submitted to the Grammy Awards 2020 for nomination. TRISTAN UND ISOLDE live performance recording by PARMA recordings was submitted to the Grammy Awards for 2021.

www.juyeonsong.com

photo: David Perea

Claude Heater Foundation

Organization

The Claude Heater Foundation was founded by American opera singer Claude Heater and Juyeon Song, who is CEO of the foundation. The foundation is named after Claude Heater, whose singing career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s, in Europe, who was famous for his Helden Tenor signature roles was Tristan, Siegfried.

Heater also served as a General Director of Oakland Opera, and is also known for portraying the role of Jesus Christ in the 1959 film Ben-Hur.

The Claude Heater Foundation's mission is to nurture, encourage, and support dramatic operatic voices, classical musicians, and artists through developmental, educational programs, and professional level performance opportunities. The Claude Heater Foundation works to provide the resources to produce operas, concerts, and recitals, providing auditions to foster singers' artistic and technical development and bring global communities together by making great music.

claudeheaterfoundation.org

Roy Cornelius Smith

Tenor

American tenor Roy Cornelius Smith has established himself among the ranks of the finest tenors of his generation through his voice of exceptional color and beauty, his compelling dramatic interpretations, and outstanding musicianship.

He has already been heard on some of the world's great operatic stages including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Salzburger Festspiele, Bregenz Festival, Norwegian National Opera, Royal Danish Opera, and the New Israeli Opera. He has also appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice, Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, to name but a few.

During his tenure as an ensemble member with the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Mr. Smith appeared as Calaf, Cavaradossi, Don Jose, Sigmund and Siegfried in Der Ring an einem Abend, Pinkerton, Turiddu, Canio and Otello with Krassimira Stoyanova conducted by Dan Ettinger. He also  premiered numerous new productions including Dick Johnson in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West directed by Tilman Knabe, the title role in Don Carlo directed by Jens-Daniel Herzog, Max in Der Freischütz directed by Armin Holz, Hagenbach in La Wally directed by Tilman Knabe, Dionysus in The Bassarids by Henze directed by Frank Hilbrich, and Eléazar in La Juive directed by Peter Konwitschny.

Recent performances include Eléazar in La Juive (Antwerp, Ghent), Pagliacci (Mannheim), Siegmund and Siegfried in Der Ring an einem Abend (Mannheim), Otello (Copenhagen), and his role debut as Tristan in concert at the San Francisco War Memorial Performing Arts Center Herbst Theater with the Claude Heater Foundation. Joshua Kosman from the San Francisco Chronicle wrote:

"Out of nowhere, an excellent 'Tristan' pops up in San Francisco...Smith deployed a gleaming vocal tone along with heroic vitality, and he made his way through the grueling marathon of Act 3 – in which the tenor holds the stage almost single-handedly for something like 45 minutes – without betraying either fatigue or concern.

The San Francisco Classical Voice stated: "Tristan was Roy Cornelius Smith, a powerful tenor with a large, grainy sound reminiscent of Jon Vickers...”

He also performed Tristan at the closing concert of the EMANACJE International Music Festival at the Krzysztof Penderecki Center of Music with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robert Reimer. Navona Records (under PARMA, in NAXOS distribution) recorded this performance and will be released in the near future.

2019/20 season includes his role debut as Peter Grimes in Markus Dietz's new production at the Nationaltheater Mannheim under the baton of Alexander Soddy, Eléazar in La Juive (Hannover), Otello (Mannheim) and additional performances of Siegmund and Siegfried in Der Ring an einem Abend (Mannheim). Upcoming seasons include Tristan in a new production directed by Luise Kautz (Mannheim-2020), Arindal in Wagner's first opera, Die Feen (Leipzig-2021 and 2022).

In 2016, Smith returned to the roster of the Metropolitan Opera as Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut and in 2017 for Fidelio. He also performed Faust in Boito's Mefistofele with Teatro del Giglio di Lucca and returned to the Deutsche Oper Berlin for performances of Calaf. Other recent performances include Verdi's Messa da Requiem and Verdi's Aida in Mannheim, Der Kaiser in Die Frau ohne Schatten in Leipzig, and his debut in France as Eleazar in La Juive with the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg.

Additionally, he has appeared as Florestan in a new production of Fidelio with the Volksoper Wien; Canio in I Pagliacci with the Norwegian National Opera and Opera Las Palmas; his debut with the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen where he sang Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, directed by Kasper Holten and Canio in I Pagliacci, directed by Paul Curran under the baton of Stefano Ranzani; Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West with Lyric Opera of Chicago opposite Deborah Voigt, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis; the title role in Andrea Chenier at the Bregenzer Festspiele; Des Grieux in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at Oper Graz; Calaf in Turandot with New Orleans Opera opposite Lise Lindstrom and Deutsche Oper Berlin opposite Lise Lindstrom and Maria Guleghina; Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West with Nashville Opera; Haman in Esther with New York City Opera; Radames in Aida with Opera Birmingham, Erik in Der fliegende Holländer with New Orleans Opera, and Pollione in Norma at the Chautauqua Institution.

A past winner of the New York Metropolitan Opera Auditions, his international debut occurred in 1998 at the prestigious Salzburger Festspiele, where he sang Fatty, the Bookkeeper, in Kurt Weill's Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny. (Available on Kultur DVD/Video with Catherine Malfitano and Dame Gwyneth Jones, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies). Later that same season he reprised the role in English for the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Mr. Smith hails from Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and received both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music from the University of Tennessee and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the American Conservatory of Music and currently resides in Vienna Austria.

www.roycorneliussmith.com

photo: Daniel Welch

John Paul Huckle

John Paul Huckle

Bass

The Anglo-American Bass John Paul Huckle was born in Pittsburgh, PA. He completed his studies at the Boston University Opera Institute after the Bachelor’s degree, the Performer Diploma and the Master of Music at the Indiana Univerisity under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Harrison, Mr. Timothy Noble, and legendary bass Mr. Giorgio Tozzi.

In 2007 John Paul Huckle made his professional debut as Sparafucile (Rigoletto) with the Cleveland Opera.  During the 2010 - 2011 he took part in the Deutsche Oper Berlin Season - Turandot, Madama Butterfly, La Bohème, Tristan und Isolde, Dialogues des Carmelites, Die Zauberflote, Tosca, Il Barbiere di Siviglia - and at the Teatro Regio of Turin – Boris Godunov, Madama Butterfly, Parsifal – as the first place winner of the NYC Opera Foundation Scholarship. He then joined the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova as Simone (Gianni Schicchi) with the great Rolando Panerai; Die Zauberflöte as the Second Armored Guard, Timur in Turandot, Colline in La Bohème, and Friar Laurence in Roméo et Juliette, in the same production where there was Andrea Bocelli. In the same period he sang the role of Monterone (Rigoletto) in Pisa, Teatro Verdi.

During the summer of 2012 he returned to Lyrique-en-Mer, the French Festival founded by Richard Cowan, to perform Lodovico (Otello) and in the previous seasons there he was Colline in La Bohème and Sparafucile in Rigoletto. In the summer of 2013, he made his fourth return to Lyrique-en-Mer Festival portraying the role of Basilio (The Barber of Seville) and Zuniga (Carmen) and he participated in numerous concerts singing arias from Boris Godunov, Turandot and The damnation of Faust. As well as the bass soloist in the Puccini Messa di Gloria. In December 2013 he was the cover for Lodovico in Otello, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova.  In January 2014 he sang the bass role in Stravinskij’s Pulcinella at the Teatro Carlo Felice.  In February 2014 he’s Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Teatro Antonio Belloni in Barlassina, Italy.  In March 2014 he is again at Teatro Carlo Felice as Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro.

In May 2014 he was the protagonist of the new opera of Federico Favali "Il crollo di casa Usher" at the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca and Zuniga in Carmen at the Teatro Carlo Felice. In June/July 2014 he worked for the first time at the Royal Opera House in London as the cover of Giorgio Talbot in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda. In 2015 Season his engagements included Angelotti in Tosca at the Teatro Carlo Felice, Dansker in Billy Budd at Teatro Carlo Felice, Zuniga in Carmen at Carlo Felice, and the Marquis D’Obigny in La Traviata at the Teatro Regio di Torino. In the 2015/2016 season, he will be sang with Opera Wroclawska, singing the roles of Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Colline in La Boheme, and Sparafucile in Rigoletto. He also returned to Teatro Carlo Felice for a Pietro in Simon Boccanegra, as well as the Bonzo in Madama Butterfly with Teatro del Giglio, Teatro Goldoni di Livorno, and the Teatro Sociale di Rovigo. He also made his debut at the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli in the roles of Cirillo and Boroff in Fedora. His 2016-2017 included returning to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, covering Ensemble 5 in ''The Nose'', at the Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti as Papa Leone and covering the title role Attila, at the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli as Der Pfleger in Elektra.

He also made his role debut as Rocco in Fidelio at the Lonborough Festival Opera,UK. For the 2017-2018 season, he was the cover of Procida in Les Vepres Siciliennes at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and then another role debut as Ashby in La Fanciulla del West. In the summer of 2018, he returned to the Lyric en mer Festival as Angelotti in Tosca, as well as the bass soloist for the Haydyn Lord Nelson Mass and the Mozart Requiem. He also covered the title role in Attila as well as Banco in Macbeth at the Verdi Festival with the Teatro Regio di Parma. In 2019, he again was seen as Angelotti in Tosca, as well as uncle Bonzo in Madame Butterfly at the Teatro Carlo Felice and Opera Giocosa di Savona. In July, he was the assassin Sparafucile in Rigoletto for the Noli Musica Festival, as well as Doctor Grenvil in La Traviata with Teatro Carlo Felice. King Marke in Tristan und Isolde marks not only his debut with the Claude Heater Foundation, but also his Wagnerian debut as well. In 2020 he was Quinalt in Adriana Lecouvreur at Teatro Carlo Felice. In the past he studied with Giorgio Tozzi, Peter Volpe, Simon Estes, and Richard Cowan.

johnpaulhuckle.com

photo: Associazione sintesi

Tamaro Gallo

Tamara Gallo

Soprano

Praised for her "vocal sovereignty" and "finely nuanced acting," Tamara Gallo has established herself as a dynamic singing actress. She is currently moving into the more dramatic repertoire of Strauss, Verdi, and Wagnerian roles as Kundry in Parsifal and Ortrud in Lohengrin, both of which she recently recorded in excerpts with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, along with Sieglinde from Die Walküre.

In Aug of 2018 she made her debut at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco as Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde, a role she also sang in 2019 with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra. In September 2019 she made her debut as a "beautifully sung" Fenena in Nabucco in San Francisco.

Ms. Gallo was praised for her 'velvety mezzo' as "Podtotschina" in Neue Oper Wien’s production of The Nose by Shostakovich at the Vienna Kammeroper and MUPA Budapest in Hungary. She reprised the role at the Teatro Sociale in Trento, Italy. With the Estonian National Opera, Ms. Gallo sang "with a warm and expressive soprano" as the Tochter in their premiere of Hindemith’s Cardillac a role she has also sung with the Staatstheater Braunschweig.

As a member of the Staatstheater Mainz, she was lauded for her star turn as Hélène in Offenbach's La belle Hélène: a "ladylike but with a hint of sex kitten Helena who also has the power to come at her husband like a Fury. Her warm, velvety voice adapts itself to all of these facets.” “Her slow lyric vocal passages are equally as convincing and invigorating as her flirtatious coloratura passages.” In Mainz, she also appeared as the Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte, and Marianne Leitmetzerin in Der Rosenkavalier, a role she later sang in Olivier Tambosi's production with the Nationaltheater Mannheim.

A champion of modern music, Ms. Gallo sang the world premiere of Erik Højsgard's Don Juan kommt aus dem Krieg at the Theater an der Wien, the EU premiere of Anthony Davis' opera Tania, the world premiere of Dieter Kaufmann's Requiem für Picoletto at the Neue Oper Wien, and the world premiere of Georgia Bottoms by composor Gregory Vajda and acclaimed writer Mark Childress with the Hunstville Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Childress's own review stated: "... a vivid stage presence... commanding soprano... her acting was precise and as warm as her voice." Ms. Gallo has appeared in concert with the Salzburg Mozart Ensemble, the Slovak Sinfonietta, the Knoxville Symphony, the Kingsport Symphony Orchestra and as a soloist in Handel's Messiah at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.

www.tamaragallo.com

Brian Davis

Brian Davis

Baritone

Brian Davis has performed over sixty leading roles on opera stages throughout the world and has consistently earned high praise from audiences and critics with his "highly cultivated baritone," his "powerful burnished voice," his "exceptionally sonorous baritone," as well as for his "dramatic intensity," and his "powerful commanding presence."

His dramatic voice and strong presence has been seen on opera stages and in concert halls in such cities as: New York, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Montréal, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, Louisville, Fort Worth, and on European stages in Hamburg, Hannover, Kassel, Freiburg, Gelsenkirchen, Braunschweig, Cagliari and in Asia at the Hong Kong Arts Center.

Career highlights have included singing with the prestigious Metropolitan Opera where he has been heard in their live radio broadcasts as well as their live broadcasts to movie theaters around the world. He also appears on DVD in their productions of Tristan und Isolde and their English language version of The Magic Flute. Mr. Davis has also had the pleasure of being selected for several world premiere works; most notably, originating the title role of composer, Giorgio Battistelli's biblical opera, LOT. On the concert stage he has originated Jeffrey Brody's song cycle for baritone and large orchestra, Elegies for Rog which is based on Paul Monette's Love Alone: Eighteen Elegies for Rog. He also was the original baritone soloist for Andrew Carter's Song of Stillness, as well as Matthias Drude's Vom Geist der Vielfalt (The Spirit of Diversity).

As well as being selected for original, new works, Mr. Davis has also had the pleasure of performing leading roles in less performed works: Die Gezeichneten, Schrecker; Was ihr wollt, Trojhan; Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Ullmann; Die Teufel von Loudun, Penderecki; Merlin, Goldmark; Die Bassariden, Henze; Die Königskinger, Humperdink; and Z Mrtvého Domu (The House of the Dead), Janáĉek.

In Germany, Mr. Davis has been heard on numerous live radio broadcasts over the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR, Northern German Broadcasting) in such operas as: LOT, Manon Lescaut, Il Tabarro, Z Mrtvého Domu (The House of the Dead), Carmen, Don Carlo, and Otello.

Alexander Kaimbacher

Alexander Kaimbacher

Tenor

Austrian Tenor Alexander Kaimbacher works as a freelance performer in Opera and Concert. He was a member of the ensemble of Vienna State Opera and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich.

He has performed in diverse theaters and concert halls all over Europe, including Vienna Volksoper, Theater an der Wien, theaters in Luzern, Bari, Ravenna, Naples, Rome, Zurich, Teatro alla Scala, Philarmonie am Gasteig Munich, Wiener Musikverein, Teatro Monumental Madrid, ACF New York & Washington, at the festivals in Salzburg, Bregenz, Grafenegg, KlangBogen, and Festival Israel.

His skills make him one of the best character interpreters of roles like Loge, Mime, Candide, and Celebrant. His great debut as Gustav von Aschenbach in Brittens Death in Venice brought him the best singer award for a German singer given by critics in NRW- Die Welt. He has also had success in operettas as Eisenstein, Leopold or Boccaccio. He is known as a specialist for song recitals and in contemporary music. Recently he had great role debut at the Zurich Opera in György Ligeti Le Grand Macabre as the holy drunk Piet the Pot.

Kaimbacher works with directors such as Luc Bondy, Johannes Erath, Tatjana Gürbaca, Andreas Kriegenburg, Hans Neuenfels, David Pountney, Jonathan Meese, Michael Sturminger, Leonard Prinsloo, La Fura del Baus, Carlos Padrissa, Carlos Wagner and conductors such as Marcello Viotti, Silvain Cambreling, Walter Kobera, Martin Haselböck, Peter Keuschnig, Manfred Honeck, Gustav Kuhn, Adam Fischer, Christian Thielemann, Stefan Soltesz, Christoph Campestrini, Zubin Mehta, Ulf Schirmer, Kirill Petrenko, Andres Orozco-Estrada, Franz Welser-Moest, Simone Young, Omer Meir Wellber, Philippe Jordan, Seiji Ozawa, and Kent Nagano.

www.kaimbacher.com

photo: Lena Kern

Naomie Kremer

Naomie Kremer

Video Artist

Kremer is known for paintings that incorporate video and digital projection, and her work in set design for the performing arts.

In 2012 Kremer was commissioned to create a video based set design for the world premiere opera based on The Secret Garden, co-commissioned by San Francisco Opera and Cal Performances, with music by Nolan Gasser and libretto by Carey Harrison. In 2018 she was commissioned by the Claude Heater Foundation to design a video backdrop for Richard Wagner’s TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, premiering at the Herbst Theater in SF, and subsequently performed in Luslawice, Poland, at the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music. In 2019 Kremer was commissioned by the Paul Dresher Ensemble to create a video backdrop for Dresher/Davel Duo world premiere of 342. Kremer’s work has been exhibited in institutions and galleries including the Beijing Museum of Contemporary Art, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Contemporary Jewish Museum, SFMOMA Artist Gallery and more. Her work resides in corporate and museum collections including the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Hammer Museum, UCLA, SFMOMA, New York Public Library, Tang Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR.

Learn more at: naomiekremer.com

Notes

It has been a real pleasure to prepare the wonderful musicians of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava in the week before the soloists joined us for the final rehearsals. The cast of the Claude Heater Foundation was of international quality and each singer had a deep insight into Wagners Music. Above all I have to name Roy Cornelius Smith as Tristan and Juyeon Song as Isolde, both of which were fantastic. Despite the very tight rehearsal schedule, we achieved — as you can hear — a great result! Congratulations to everyone!

I would like to thank my dearest friend Dr. Reinhard Windorf for his help and musical advice in my preparation of this production. He was in Bayreuth for many years and knows the famous Wieland Wagner - Tristan production with Claude Heater, which became part of his legacy, very well.

My special thanks regarding this recording to Claude Heater, Founder of the Claude Heater Foundation (CHF), to Juyeon Song, Co-Founder and CEO of the CHF and to Ondřej Daněk, Manager of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, without whom this recording would never have been realized.

— Robert Reimer