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© James Hole
Tristan and Isolde
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January 2026 | ||||||
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Tristan and Isolde – Richard Wagner
Musical drama in three acts.
Libretto by Richard Wagner based on Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg.
Approximate running time: 4 hours 30 minutes
One of the cultural references of the Middle Ages and, in Wagner's hands, a cultural revolution.
Tristan und Isolde is an immense dramatic-musical poem; an infinite song of love and death inspired by the medieval Celtic legend from the 12th century, compiled by Gottfried von Strassburg, which became one of the cultural references of the Middle Ages and, in Wagner's hands, a cultural revolution.
The first scene takes place on the ship in which Tristan is taking Isolde to Cornwall to meet her betrothed, King Marke. The death potion that the princess has brought to carry out her revenge on Tristan for causing the death of her fiancé, Morold, is unexpectedly swapped by the servant Brangäne for a love potion, triggering the repressed passion of the protagonists, who, in the second act, present one of the most extraordinary scenes of ecstatic love in opera history. Fatality leads the lovers to reveal their impossible love. After Tristan's death, only her Transfiguration (Verklärung) remains for Isolde: a death of love (Liebestod) that occurs both musically and existentially, resulting in one of the most sublime moments.
Written between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich in 1865, the opera starts with the tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde. With a libretto by Wagner himself, it serves as the most powerful expression of passionate love that asserts itself, uncontrollable, against one’s own will, moral norms, and divine laws, and, as Denis de Rougemont describes in Love and Western Culture, only finds its fulfillment in death.
Structured around a rich constellation of references ranging from Buddhism to the theater of Calderón de la Barca and the philosophy of Schopenhauer, Wagner places in tension a series of opposing binomials: eros/death, duty/instinct, or consciousness/subconscious, proposing a dramatic framework that anticipates modern psychology.
Wagner presents new ideas that would represent a turning point in the evolution of music: rich chromaticism, a wide palette of orchestral colors, bold harmonic suspension, irresistible climaxes, overlapping rhythms... Following her success with Puccini’s Il trittico, Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki will lead the musical ensembles of the Gran Teatre del Liceu to decipher the mysteries of this score: one of the five most influential operas of all time.
In the new production by Bárbara Lluch, Tristan and Isolde, with an inaccessible desire, are two people who try to escape the vital roles that have been assigned to them, who wish to flee from daily lies. They are two people who suffer and find in love the repair and restoration of their lives. They rise and challenge the status quo, but by losing their connection with reality, they ultimately fail.
It is a great pleasure to announce that one of the queens of our stage, Lise Davidsen, will debut in the role of Isolde at the Liceu. Undoubtedly, this is one of the roles the operatic world has been dreaming of, and it will mark a before and after in the global opera scene. Alongside her, heldentenor Clay Hilley will embody the character of Tristan, one of the most challenging yet fascinating roles in the repertoire. The promise of these unforgettable performances underscores the Liceu as the quintessential Wagnerian temple.
Program and cast
Tristan - Clay Hilley | January 12, 19, 23, 27 and 31
Tristan - Bryan Register | January 15 and 25
King Marke - Brindley Sherratt
Isolde - Lise Davidsen | January 12th, 19th, 23rd, 27th and 31st
Isolde - Elena Pankratova | January 15 and 25
Kurwenal - Tomasz Konieczny
Melot - Roger Padullés
Brangäne - Iréne Theorin
A shepherd / A sailor - Albert Casals
A helmsman - Milan Perišic
Stage direction - Bárbara Lluch
Scenery and lighting - Urs Schönebaum
Costumes - Clara Peluffo
Video creation
Dramaturg - Yvonne Gebauer
Production - Gran Teatre del Liceu
Choir of the Gran Teatre del Liceu
Conductor: Pablo Assante
Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu
Conductor: Susanna Mälkki
Gran Teatre del Liceu
Barcelona's opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, was founded on the Rambla in 1847 and has continued over the years to fulfil its role as a culture and arts centre and one of the symbols of the city.
Today it is publicly-owned (by the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte) and administered by the Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu which, in addition to the aforementioned bodies, incorporates the Patronage Council and the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu (the old society of owners).
Origins: From 1837 to 1847
The Liceu evolved out of the Sociedad Dramática de Aficionados (Society of theatre-lovers) set up in 1837 at the instigation of Manuel Gibert in the former convent of Montsió by members of the National Militia, an organization of armed citizens with liberal leanings.
Barcelona's economy and population were growing fast at the time and the city needed a music conservatory. This led to the conversion of the Sociedad Dramática into the Liceo Filármonico Dramático Barcelonés de S.M. la Reina Isabel II (Barcelona Dramatic and Philharmonic Lyceum of HM Queen Isabel II). In addition to its theatrical activities, the new organization cultivated Italian-style singing and music.
The building on the Rambla
The original building was solemnly opened on 4 April 1847. The plans had been drawn up by Miquel Garriga i Roca, subsequently assisted by Josep Oriol Mestres. The project was funded by selling shares, which meant that many of the boxes and seats were to be privately owned. The shareholders formed the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu, known as the “Societat de Propietaris” (Society of Owners), which was in sole charge of running the Gran Teatre del Liceu from 1855 onwards, after it was legally separated from the Conservatori del Gran Teatre del Liceu.
The theatre was operated by impresarios who were given a concession to stage a specific number of productions in exchange for the proceeds from the sale of tickets not reserved for the Societat itself. This system was to endure until 1980.
The creation of the Consortium
By the last quarter of the 20th century this management system was no longer viable. In 1980, to avert the danger of the disappearance of an institution of such worldwide cultural renown, the Generalitat Catalonia's first government in modern times – set up a consortium, the Consorci del Gran Teatre del Liceu, which also incorporated Barcelona City Council and the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu. Barcelona Provincial Council joined the Consortium in 1985, followed by the Spanish Ministry of Culture in 1986. From then on the Consortium took over operation of the theatre.
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