A New Immersive TRISTAN UND ISOLD Comes to Opera Ballet Vlaanderen

A new production of Tristan und Isolde will be an experience that even seasoned Wagnerians may have rarely encountered. French filmmaker Philippe Grandrieux makes his opera directorial debut, drawing the audience into an intoxicating trance in which voices, bodies, images and light depict Richard Wagner's musical fever dream.

Philippe Grandrieux is one of France's leading filmmakers and his name is mentioned in the same breath as Jean-Luc Godard and David Lynch. His work - known for a physical, sensory cinematic language - is not limited to arthouse cinema, but can also be seen in museums from the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York to the Centre Pompidou. Film will therefore be the backbone of his staging.

For Grandrieux, Isolde is the focal point of the action in Wagner's masterpiece, driven by a cocktail of anger and desire. "Isolde is an exceptionally strong woman," says Grandrieux in an interview that you will find in the press kit. "There is a tension that rages within her, an oceanic urge that's impossible to satisfy except in death.

In addition, Grandrieux wants to immerse the audience in an atmosphere that exposes the dark emotions of Wagner's score. To make this immersive experience more intense there will be no surtitles during the performances. But the public will be able to prepare through the various options offered by Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, such as the audio introduction, the programme book, the website and social media. A synopsis of the story will also be distributed in the corridors in our theatres.

Please note that we recommend this production for audiences aged 16 and over.

Chief conductor Alejo Pérez leads the internationally acclaimed Opera Ballet Vlaanderen Symphony Orchestra and can count on an exceptional cast. As Isolde we welcome the Argentinian soprano Carla Filipcic Holm, whom we still vividly remember as Prima Donna and Ariadne/Ariadne auf Naxos. Tristan will be played by the Australian tenor Samuel Sakker, who recently performed the role impressively at the Opéra national de Lorraine (Nancy). The German mezzo-soprano Dshamilja Kaiser, who has already won several prizes in Germany and Austria, will play Brangäne. König Marke will be played by the German bass-baritone Albert Dohmen, who is internationally regarded as the leading Wotan interpreter of his generation. As Kurwenal we once again welcome the German-Italian baritone Vincenzo Neri who has been our guest on several occasions, such as in Der König Kandaules, Lohengrin, La Bohème, Infinite Now and recently in The Convert.