CONDUCTOR DIETFRIED BERNET
DIRECTOR DAVID ALDEN
DESIGNER IAN MACNEIL
LIGHTING DESIGN WOLFGANG GÖBBEL

TRISTAN DAVID RENDALL; ISOLDE SUSAN BULLOCK; BRANGäNE JANE IRWIN; KING MARKE MATTHEW BEST; KURWENAL JONATHAN SUMMERS; MELOT LEIGH MELROSE; SAILOR RHYS MEIRION; SHEPHERD ALASDAIR ELLIOTT

Glowing colours and subtle lighting made a perfect backdrop to this revival of David Alden's production from 1996 [pict: Bill Rafferty], creating a dream-like mood for a stage picture which changed, opening out as the opera continued, to bleak open spaces suggesting the Brittany coast in Act 3. He punctuates the prevailing contemplative stillness with moments of frantic movement. The production utilises the whole stage area, with his placing of the singers, often far apart, stimulating thoughts about their relationships.

The ENO programme book is good value and has a conversation with David Alden from 1996, in which he discusses the complex and strange relationships between the characters in this 'opera about love', Isolde's with Tristan conducted in monologues - 'real life can't contain what these two people need'; King Marke's with Tristan 'the real love scene'. He explains how he came to decide, with Ian Macneil, to stage Tristan in 'an empty, brick space which starts in a rather cool, placid and uninflected manner and is transformed as the action unfolds'.

David Rendall and Susan Bullock lived inside their parts and were vocally commanding from beginning to end; more self-absorbed than in touch with each other, a credible interpretation of a relationship which is not, and never will be, of the flesh. Rendall maintained beauty of tone and showed no sign of tiring vocally in the exceptionally demanding third act - 'too repetitive, too difficult to sing for even the best Heldentenor', thought Alden. Jane Irwin's bespectacled Brangäne was duly ambivalent in her behaviour and its results, her tone rich and complementing Bullock's in their exchanges.

Supporting his strong cast, Dietfried Bernet kept a firm yet flexible grasp upon the ebb and flow of the music, obtaining from the orchestra dedicated playing, often of breath-taking beauty, and always considerate to the singers. His control of dynamics allowed an adequately high proportion of words to come through; it all made for a most satisfying evening - for me the best at ENO this year.