Tristan und Isolde Tickets

Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Scene 4 from the opera "Tristan and Isolde"

Scene 1 from the opera "Tristan and Isolde"

Scene 2 from the opera "Tristan and Isolde"

Scene 3 from the opera "Tristan and Isolde"

Scene 5 from the opera "Tristan and Isolde"

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June 2025

Available Dates: 29 Jun, 2025 (1 events)

Important Info

Type: Opera

City: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Duration: 5h 20min with 2 intervals

Acts: 3

Intervals: 2

Sung in: German

Titles in: English,Russian

Ticket delivery: E-Tickets

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

Can I choose my seats?

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Cast

Performers

Choose the date to see the peformers

Creators

Composer: Richard Wagner

Music Director: Valery Gergiev

Principal Chorus Master: Andrei Petrenko

Costume designer: Dmitri Tcherniakov

Director: Dmitri Tcherniakov

Sets: Dmitri Tcherniakov

Light: Gleb Filshtinsky

Poet: Gottfried von Strassburg

Costume designer: Irina Tsvetkova

Musical Preparation: Marina Mishuk

Librettist: Richard Wagner

Sets: Zinovy Margolin

Overview

The summary of Richard Wagner's opera "Tristan and Isolde" fits into a few lines: the knight Tristan loves Princess Isolde, someone else's bride and - later - his wife; Isolde loves Tristan, the murderer of her former fiancé; Iseult's husband, the good King Mark, suffers; true friends help, the enemy betrays, lovers die. The reference points of the plot, borrowed by Wagner from medieval literature (primarily from the poetic novel of Gottfried of Strasbourg), are very few: a love drink - a date - exposure - injury - separation - death. Enriching the old legend with images from the romantic poetry of Novalis and ideas from the philosophy of Schopenhauer, the composer created a grandiose vocal-symphonic anthem of love and death, or rather, their fusion, “love-death”. "Tristan and Isolde" is a radical psychological drama, where every movement of the human soul is reproduced by means of music: from languor to ecstasy, from a fleeting impulse to manic passion. The insatiability of love attraction gives rise to an inescapable tension in music: expressive and unsteady harmonies, winding shoots of melodies, languid voices of violins, oboe, English horn, all that Nietzsche called “terrible and sweet infinity” ... “This “Tristan” will be something amazing , Wagner wrote to Mathilde Wesendonck, his Isolde. “Perfectly staged, it will drive people crazy.” And so it happened: the world became obsessed with "Tristan", with the intoxicating "Tristan Accord", with the exalted "Enlightenment of Isolde". The score of "Tristan" has exhausted the possibilities of the major-minor system, determined the development of European music for decades to come and turned into a myth that allows for the most diverse interpretations and directorial concepts.
In pre-revolutionary Russia, Wagner's opus metaphysicum was staged twice, both times at the Mariinsky Theatre, after which Tristan disappeared from domestic theater life for almost a hundred years. In 2005, the most difficult work for both performers and directors returned to the Mariinsky stage. The central theme of Dmitry Chernyakov's performance is the mysterious connection between Eros and Thanatos, "sympathy for death", which controls the characters to a much greater extent than love for each other. If the composer reduced the eventful side of Tristan to a minimum for the sake of immersing himself in the inner selves of the characters, then the director, together with the artists (Zinovy Margolin, Irina Tsvetkova, Gleb Filshtinsky), also took away all the chivalric brilliance and medieval charm from the opera. The black flag, which, according to Wagner, flies in the last act, has turned into a black woolen bedspread on an iron spring bed: such everyday-familiar details are generously scattered throughout the performance. The result is a polyphony of vintage life, a narrow-format picture and a bewitching, furiously luxurious sound, flooding the whole world with its waves, it seems.

Khristina Batyushina

History

Premiere of this production: 10 June 1865, Königliches Hof- und Nationaltheater, Munich

Tristan und Isolde (Tristan and Isolde, or Tristan and Isolda, or Tristran and Ysolt) is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered at the Königliches Hof- und Nationaltheater in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting. Wagner referred to the work, not as an opera but called it "eine Handlung" (literally a drama, a plot, or an action), which was the equivalent of the term used by the Spanish playwright Calderón for his dramas.

Synopsis

Act I
Tristan is taking Isolde, King Marke’s bride-to-be, to Cornwall by ship. Brangäne, who believes it to be a good match, is surprised by her mistress’ rage and despair. Isolde orders Brangäne to call Tristan, but he declines to offer any explanations. Kurwenal, Tristan’s loyal friend, responds arrogantly: a hero such as Tristan has nothing to discuss with a woman who is being taken in captivity to be the wife of another man. Isolde admits to Brangäne that Tristan is the very same knight who once killed her betrothed and whom she almost took revenge on but, in an instant of compassion, instead cured his dangerous wounds. He swore to be faithful to her, but now, thankless, he has abducted her for his uncle, the elderly King Marke. In despair, Isolde wants to prepare poison for herself and Tristan and asks him to be summoned so they can drink the potion of atonement together which will help him forget his guilt. This time Tristan comes. Brangäne, however, brings a love potion instead of the poison. Tristan guesses at the true intentions behind Isolde’s vague words about atonement and accepts the goblet. Expecting to die soon, Tristan and Isolde declare their love for one another. At this moment the cries of the sailors herald the ship’s arrival in Cornwall.

Act II
Isolde anxiously awaits a meeting with her beloved. Brangäne warns Isolde that Melot the knights has been watching Tristan ever since his arrival; Melot is in a position to tell the King all and so Brangäne begs Isolde to take care. Isolde, however, believes Melot to be Tristan’s friend, who has specially taken the King hunting to arrange this meeting. Tristan arrives. The lovers praise night and death, which for them are greater than the glorious light of day. They pay no heed to Brangäne. Who warns them that dawn is breaking until Kurwenal runs in shouting “Save yourself, Tristan!” But close on Kurwenal’s heels King Marke and his retinue appear. Melot denounces Tristan. The King upbraids his nephew for his ingratitude. Tristan asks Isolde if she is prepared to follow him. In indignation Melot attacks Tristan, wounding him severely.

Act III
The loyal Kurwenal has brought Tristan to his castle in Brittany. All of Tristan’s thoughts are of his birth and his childhood. Here, in Kareol, as soon as Tristan was born his father tragically died. It was here that his mother died giving birth. A shepherd’s mournful tune makes Tristan reflect on his life and admit the insurmountable lure of death, as if it was all born together with him. Kurwenal tells Tristan that he has sent for Isolde – she alone can cure his wounds. Tristan awaits Isolde with all his being and as the ship arrives he dies. Isolde cannot believe Tristan is dead. Marke appears with his retinue. Kurwenal, unaware of the purpose of their visit, wages battle against them, kills Melot and himself dies. Brangäne, who convinced Marke to come to Kareol, explains to Isolde that the King has forgiven the lovers and has come to bless their union. Isolde hears nothing. She follows after Tristan.

Act 1

Isolde, promised to King Marke in marriage, and her handmaid, Brangäne, are quartered aboard Tristan's ship being transported to the king's lands in Cornwall. The opera opens with the voice of a young sailor singing of a "wild Irish maid", ("Westwärts schweift der Blick") which Isolde construes to be a mocking reference to herself. In a furious outburst, she wishes the seas to rise up and sink the ship, killing herself and all on board ("Erwache mir wieder, kühne Gewalt"). Her scorn and rage are directed particularly at Tristan, the knight responsible for taking her to Marke, and Isolde sends Brangäne to command Tristan to appear before her ("Befehlen liess' dem Eigenholde"). Tristan, however, refuses Brangäne's request, claiming that his place is at the helm. His henchman, Kurwenal, answers more brusquely, saying that Isolde is in no position to command Tristan and reminds Brangäne that Isolde's previous fiancé, Morold, was killed by Tristan ("Herr Morold zog zu Meere her").

Brangäne returns to Isolde to relate these events, and Isolde, in what is termed the "narrative and curse", sadly tells her of how, following the death of Morold, she happened upon a stranger who called himself Tantris. Tantris was found mortally wounded in a barge ("von einem Kahn, der klein und arm") and Isolde used her healing powers to restore him to health. She discovered during Tantris' recovery, however, that he was actually Tristan, the murderer of her fiancé. Isolde attempted to kill the man with his own sword as he lay helpless before her. However, Tristan looked not at the sword that would kill him or the hand that wielded the sword, but into her eyes ("Er sah' mir in die Augen"). His action pierced her heart and she was unable to slay him. Tristan was allowed to leave with the promise never to come back, but he later returned with the intention of marrying Isolde to his uncle, King Marke. Isolde, furious at Tristan's betrayal, insists that he drink atonement to her, and from her medicine chest produces a vial to make the drink. Brangäne is shocked to see that it is a lethal poison.

Kurwenal appears in the women's quarters ("Auf auf! Ihr Frauen!") and announces that the voyage is coming to an end. Isolde warns Kurwenal that she will not appear before the King if Tristan does not come before her as she had previously ordered and drink atonement to her. When Tristan arrives, Isolde reproaches him about his conduct and tells him that he owes her his life and how his actions have undermined her honour, since she blessed Morold's weapons before battle and therefore she swore revenge. Tristan first offers his sword but Isolde refuses; they must drink atonement. Brangäne brings in the potion that will seal their pardon; Tristan knows that it may kill him, since he knows Isolde's magic powers ("Wohl kenn' ich Irland's Königin"). The journey almost at its end, Tristan drinks and Isolde takes half the potion for herself. The potion seems to work but it does not bring death but relentless love ("Tristan!" "Isolde!"). Kurwenal, who announces the imminent arrival on board of King Marke, interrupts their rapture. Isolde asks Brangäne which potion she prepared and Brangäne replies, as the sailors hail the arrival of King Marke, that it was not poison, but rather a love potion.

Act 2

King Marke leads a hunting party out into the night, leaving Isolde and Brangäne alone in the castle, who both stand beside a burning brazier. Isolde, listening to the hunting horns, believes several times that the hunting party is far enough away to warrant the extinguishing of the brazier – the prearranged signal for Tristan to join her ("Nicht Hörnerschall tönt so hold"). Brangäne warns Isolde that Melot, one of King Marke's knights, has seen the amorous looks exchanged between Tristan and Isolde and suspects their passion ("Ein Einz'ger war's, ich achtet' es wohl"). Isolde, however, believes Melot to be Tristan's most loyal friend, and, in a frenzy of desire, extinguishes the flames. Brangäne retires to the ramparts to keep watch as Tristan arrives.

The lovers, at last alone and freed from the constraints of courtly life, declare their passion for each other. Tristan decries the realm of daylight which is false, unreal, and keeps them apart. It is only in night, he claims, that they can truly be together and only in the long night of death can they be eternally united ("O sink' hernieder, Nacht der Liebe"). During their long tryst, Brangäne calls a warning several times that the night is ending ("Einsam wachend in der Nacht"), but her cries fall upon deaf ears. The day breaks in on the lovers as Melot leads King Marke and his men to find Tristan and Isolde in each other's arms. Marke is heartbroken, not only because of his nephew's betrayal but also because Melot chose to betray his friend Tristan to Marke and because of Isolde's betrayal as well ("Mir – dies? Dies, Tristan – mir?").

When questioned, Tristan says he cannot answer to the King the reason of his betrayal since he would not understand. He turns to Isolde, who agrees to follow him again into the realm of night. Tristan announces that Melot has fallen in love with Isolde too. Melot and Tristan fight, but, at the crucial moment, Tristan throws his sword aside and allows Melot to severely wound him.

Act 3

Kurwenal has brought Tristan home to his castle at Kareol in Brittany. A shepherd pipes a mournful tune and asks if Tristan is awake. Kurwenal replies that only Isolde's arrival can save Tristan, and the shepherd offers to keep watch and claims that he will pipe a joyful tune to mark the arrival of any ship. Tristan awakes ("Die alte Weise – was weckt sie mich?") and laments his fate – to be, once again, in the false realm of daylight, once more driven by unceasing unquenchable yearning ("Wo ich erwacht' weilt ich nicht"). Tristan's sorrow ends when Kurwenal tells him that Isolde is on her way. Tristan, overjoyed, asks if her ship is in sight, but only a sorrowful tune from the shepherd's pipe is heard.

Tristan relapses and recalls that the shepherd's mournful tune is the same as was played when he was told of the deaths of his father and mother ("Muss ich dich so versteh'n, du alte, ernst Weise"). He rails once again against his desires and against the fateful love potion ("verflucht sei, furchtbarer Trank!") until, exhausted, he collapses in delirium. After his collapse, the shepherd is heard piping the arrival of Isolde's ship, and, as Kurwenal rushes to meet her, Tristan tears the bandages from his wounds in his excitement ("Hahei! Mein Blut, lustig nun fliesse!"). As Isolde arrives at his side, Tristan dies with her name on his lips.

Isolde collapses beside her deceased lover just as the appearance of another ship is announced. Kurwenal spies Melot, Marke and Brangäne arriving ("Tod und Hölle! Alles zur Hand!"). He believes they have come to kill Tristan and, in an attempt to avenge him, furiously attacks Melot. Marke tries to stop the fight to no avail. Both Melot and Kurwenal are killed in the fight. Marke and Brangäne finally reach Tristan and Isolde. Marke, grieving over the body of his "truest friend" ("Tot denn alles!"), explains that Brangäne revealed the secret of the love potion and that he had come not to part the lovers, but to unite them ("Warum Isolde, warum mir das?"). Isolde appears to wake at this and in a final aria describing her vision of Tristan risen again (the "Liebestod", "love death"), dies ("Mild und leise wie er lächelt").

Venue Info

Mariinsky Theatre - Saint Petersburg
1 Theatre Square

The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th-century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. Through most of the Soviet era, it was known as the Kirov Theatre. Today, the Mariinsky Theatre is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Mariinsky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra. Since Yuri Temirkanov's retirement in 1988, the conductor Valery Gergiev has served as the theatre's general director.

The theatre is named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Tsar Alexander II. There is a bust of the Empress in the main entrance foyer. The theatre's name has changed throughout its history, reflecting the political climate of the time.

The theatre building is commonly called the Mariinsky Theatre. The companies that operate within it have for brand recognition purposes retained the Kirov name, acquired during the Soviet era to commemorate the assassinated Leningrad Communist Party leader Sergey Kirov (1886–1934).

The Imperial drama, opera and ballet troupe in Saint Petersburg was established in 1783, at the behest of Catherine the Great, although an Italian ballet troupe had performed at the Russian court since the early 18th century. Originally, the ballet and opera performances were given in the wooden Karl Knipper Theatre on Tsaritsa Meadow, near the present-day Tripartite Bridge (also known as the Little Theatre or the Maly Theatre). The Hermitage Theatre, next door to the Winter Palace, was used to host performances for an elite audience of aristocratic guests invited by the Empress.

A permanent theatre building for the new company of opera and ballet artists was designed by Antonio Rinaldi and opened in 1783. Known as the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre the structure was situated on Carousel Square, which was renamed Theatre Square in honour of the building. Both names – "Kamenny" (Russian word for "stone") and "Bolshoi" (Russian word for "big") – were coined to distinguish it from the wooden Little Theatre. In 1836, the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre was renovated to a design by Albert Cavos (son of Catterino Cavos, an opera composer), and served as the principal theatre of the Imperial Ballet and opera.

On 29 January 1849, the Equestrian circus (Конный цирк) opened on Theatre Square. This was also the work of the architect Cavos. The building was designed to double as a theatre. It was a wooden structure in the then-fashionable neo-Byzantine style. Ten years later, when this circus burnt down, Albert Cavos rebuilt it as an opera and ballet house with the largest stage in the world. With a seating capacity of 1,625 and a U-shaped Italian-style auditorium, the theatre opened on 2 October 1860, with a performance of A Life for the Tsar. The new theatre was named Mariinsky after its imperial patroness, Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

Under Yuri Temirkanov, Principal Conductor from 1976 to 1988, the Opera Company continued to stage innovative productions of both modern and classic Russian operas. Although functioning separately from the Theatre’s Ballet Company, since 1988 both companies have been under the artistic leadership of Valery Gergiev as Artistic Director of the entire Theatre.

The Opera Company has entered a new era of artistic excellence and creativity. Since 1993, Gergiev’s impact on opera there has been enormous. Firstly, he reorganized the company’s operations and established links with many of the world's great opera houses, including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, the Opéra Bastille, La Scala, La Fenice, the Israeli Opera, the Washington National Opera and the San Francisco Opera. Today, the Opera Company regularly tours to most of these cities.

Gergiev has also been innovative as far as Russian opera is concerned: in 1989, there was an all-Mussorgsky festival featuring the composer’s entire operatic output. Similarly, many of Prokofiev’s operas were presented from the late 1990s. Operas by non-Russian composers began to be performed in their original languages, which helped the Opera Company to incorporate world trends. The annual international "Stars of the White Nights Festival" in Saint Petersburg, started by Gergiev in 1993, has also put the Mariinsky on the world’s cultural map. That year, as a salute to the imperial origins of the Mariinsky, Verdi's La forza del destino, which received its premiere in Saint Petersburg in 1862, was produced with its original sets, costumes and scenery. Since then, it has become a characteristic of the "White Nights Festival" to present the premieres from the company’s upcoming season during this magical period, when the hours of darkness practically disappear as the summer solstice approaches.

Presently, the Company lists on its roster 22 sopranos (of whom Anna Netrebko may be the best known); 13 mezzo-sopranos (with Olga Borodina familiar to US and European audiences); 23 tenors; eight baritones; and 14 basses. With Gergiev in charge overall, there is a Head of Stage Administration, a Stage Director, Stage Managers and Assistants, along with 14 accompanists.