…long-term planning (and thus get good casts) than any other South American theatre. Across the continent, in Buenos Aires the Teatro Colón is far more dependent on politics, which is why Rodríguez has seen about ten counterparts come and go there during his quarter-century at the Municipal. Some co-productions have nevertheless been achieved between Santiago and Buenos Aires, and a few with Rio de Janeiro, and Santiago has also done business further afield. The relative cheapness of buildings sets in the Municipal’s own workshop means that its productions have reached (or are about to reach) Washington, Dallas, Oviedo and Lausanne, and Savonlinna and Santiago enjoyed exchange visits in 2003. In June of this year, Rodríguez hosted a meeting to establish Opera Latino Americana, an umbrella organization that aims to promote the lyric art in the region and to establish links with Opera America and Opera Europa. Representatives from theatres and organizations in Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Chile signed up.

It was indeed the Colón’s current artistic director, Marcelo Lombardero, who directed Santiago’s new Tristan, and he did so with his trademark restraint: the largely empty stage consisted of only a few props and sliding panels (Ramón López), and most of the visual detail was filled in by Diego Siliano’s beautiful projections. Predominantly charcoal-grey, the colour and lighting changed shifted mysteriously at the drinking of the love potion, matching the tone of the music, and turned a radiant blue to provide a halo for the love duet. Half abstract, the designs also incorporated such motifs as a giant porthole for the Act 1 ship. Luciana Gutman designed the costumes.

The cast was led excitingly by John Treleaven and Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet. The tenor (surely the only real Cornish Tristan) threw himself unstintingly and untiringly into his part, and the soprano showed why she is making such a name for herself as the next major Wagnerian; never pushing, she disclosed gleaming power across big phrases, and rock-steady tuning. Petra Lang was a lovely, soft-grained Brangaene, and Christopher Robertson a strong, lively and uncommonly positive Kurwenal. Reinhard Hagen had imposing presence as King Mark, but was having an off-night vocally.

Latham-Koenig drew excellent playing from his orchestra, the strings sounding especially good. He treats Tristan as real theatre rather than something purely philosophical—the performance was focused from beginning to end, and flowed with a powerful muscularity—which is not to say the metaphysical side of the music was neglected. Surging drama was balanced with stillness in a performance where the ‘links’ were securely paced. Thanks to conductor, soprano and tenor, the softly-graded yet ecstatic love duet was some of the best Wagner I’ve heard all season—in an opera house about as far away from Bayreuth as opera houses go.

John Allison, Opera Magazine

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