Tristan und Isolde cover

Tristan und Isolde

Leonard Bernstein · 1983

266 min · 29 tracks · classical music

Spotify Apple Music
Own it: Amazon eBay

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

92 /100
Summit
Higher than 100% of albums we've rated

Wagner's continuous dramatic writing gets a searching, unusually expansive reading; the sustained pacing is compelling but makes the full opera a substantial commitment.

What we noticed

  • Three orchestral act preludes mark the large-scale divisions, while the scenes within each act flow into one another rather than behaving like self-contained songs.
  • Bernstein draws out the chromatic suspensions and orchestral phrases, especially in the Act II love duet, so tension accumulates through duration instead of quick dramatic turns.
  • Act II's extended duet is cut off by the sudden arrival of Marke's party; Act III then spends much of its length on Tristan's delirium before Isolde's final solo closes the opera.
Composition 25% of the score
10/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
8/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
8/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
8/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
7/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 5/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 Tristan und Isolde: Vorspiel 14:13
  • 2 Tristan und Isolde: Act I. Scene I. Westwarts schweift der Blick 7:10
  • 3 Tristan und Isolde: Act I. Scene II.Frisch weht der Wind der Heimat zu 4:33
  • 4 Tristan und Isolde: Act I. Scene II. Hab acht, Tristan! 6:08
  • 5 Tristan und Isolde: Act I. Scene III. Weh, ach wehe! 2:08
  • 6 Tristan und Isolde: Act I. Scene III. Wie lachend sie mir 20:07
  • 7 Tristan und Isolde: Act I. Scene IV. Auf! Auf! Ihr Frauen! 8:00

Disc 2

  • 1 Tristan und Isolde: Act I. Scene IV. Herr Tristan nah! 10:29
  • 2 Tristan und Isolde: Act I. Scene V. War Morold dir so wert 11:25
  • 3 Tristan und Isolde: Act I. Scene V. Tristan! - Isolde! 8:31
  • 4 Tristan und Isolde: Act II. Vorspiel 2:07
  • 5 Tristan und Isolde: Act II. Scene I. Horst du sie noch? 14:59
  • 6 Tristan und Isolde: Act II. Scene II. Isolde! Geliebte! 18:30

Disc 3

  • 1 Tristan und Isolde: Act II. Scene II. O sik hernieder, Nactht der Liebe 10:15
  • 2 Tristan und Isolde: Act II. Scene II. Lausch, Geliebter 8:50
  • 3 Tristan und Isolde: Act II. Scene II. So sturben wir, um ungetrennt 10:00
  • 4 Tristan und Isolde: Act II. Scene III. Rette dich, Tristan 2:03
  • 5 Tristan und Isolde: Act II. Scene III. Tatest du's wirklich? 13:15
  • 6 Tristan und Isolde: Act II. Scene III. O, Konig, das kann ich dir nicht sagen 10:16
  • 7 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Vorspiel 8:03
  • 8 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Scene I. Kurwenal! He! Sag, Kurwenal! 11:02

Disc 4

  • 1 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Scene I. Wo ich erwacht, weilt ich nicht 7:40
  • 2 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Scene I. Der einst ich trotzt aus Treu 19:11
  • 3 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Scene I. Bist du nun tot? 6:35
  • 4 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Scene I. O Wonne! Freunde! 3:05
  • 5 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Scene II. O diese Sonne 3:50
  • 6 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Scene II. Ich bin's, ich bin's 6:29
  • 7 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Scene III. Kurwenal! Hor! 8:38
  • 8 Tristan und Isolde: Act III. Scene III. Mild unde leise wie er lachelt 8:33

What to play next

Symphonie No. 2 / Akademische Festouvertüre
Listen next

Symphonie No. 2 / Akademische Festouvertüre

1983
Symphony No. 4 / Tragic Overture
Go back to

Symphony No. 4 / Tragic Overture

1983
Full Leonard Bernstein discography Where to start with Leonard Bernstein Artists like Leonard Bernstein Which Leonard Bernstein albums to start with
opera symphony

Reference: MusicBrainz