Tristan und Isolde with Shuard, Dowd, Veasey & Colin Davis
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Tristan und Isolde
Richard Wagner Amy Shuard, Ronald Dowd, Josephine Veasey, 1969 London OD 10484-4 |
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Sound Quality:
  This recording of Tristan und Isolde was made in a studio for broadcast on the radio and is comprised entirely of Britons. Amy Shuard proves herself to be a formidible Isolde; imperious and passionate, vengeful and tender. Ronald Dowd, is slightly on the lighter side of the Tristan spectrum but through the magic of recording this hardly diminishes his achievements. His voice is actually quite sweet and he sings some of the softer moments of Act III rather beautifully. Josephine Veasey is wonderful as Brangane as is John Shirley-Quirk as Kurwenal and Michael Langdon as Marke. Sir Colin Davis' approach to the score is somewhat idiosyncratic. He often opts for broader tempi but there are a few points in the score that seem faster than the norm. All in all the British should be very proud of this achievement. The sound is very good. |
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2 Comments on Tristan und Isolde with Shuard, Dowd, Veasey & Colin Davis »
October 29, 2009
John @ 6:00 pm:
I think Ronald Dowd was (is?) Australian but that almost counts as a Brit. He was a memorable Grimes, Samson and Aeneas, usually standing in for Vickers with similar vocal idiosyncrasies and intense involvement in the character . He very rarely sang Wagner on stage.
Thanks for the Shuard Isolde at last, as I have treasured a tape of Act 3 from this broadcast for 40 years. Strangely she never got to sing the part on stage in London .
Can we have recordings of her Elektra and Turandot now, only eclipsed by Nilsson at that period.
November 2, 2009
Neville Sumpter @ 5:24 pm:
Ronald Dowd was Australian but is unfortunately deceased. The Act III is from a different performance a Prom Concert which I attended with almost an identical cast except for Donald Bell as Kurwenal. It was performed on Tuesday 21 July 1970 and later (re)brodcast on 26th March 1972.
The complete Tristan from the BBC 1969 was recorded in the studio.
There are at least four Turandots available from the ROH
with Prevedi Conductor Downes 28/2/1963
with Corelli Conductor Mackerras 28/5/1966
with Nikolov Conductor Downes date uncertain
with Konya Conductor Delogu 9/10/1973
Only one Elektra has surface and it is in not good sound with Collier Modl Lanigan Shaw Conductor Downes 15/9/1966 but I am sure there must be others.