Tristan und Isolde

"Wagner fans from all over the U.S. and abroad have been pouring into the Pacific Northwest to cheer the English soprano Jane Eaglen and the Canadian tenor Ben Heppner, both singing the roles for the first time, and they proved to be singers who not only survive the music but make something
of it."

—Heidi Waleson, The Wall Street Journal,
    "Doomed as Lovers, Tristan and Isolde Are Triumphant
    as Singers," August 14, 1998

"In one bold, imaginative leap, Seattle Opera moved Wagner's Tristan und Isolde from the 19th century to the 20th century."

—R.M. Campbell, Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
    "Seattle Opera’s $2 million Tristan is bold, extraordinary,"
    August 3, 1998

"The Seattle Opera has been an important place for [soprano Jane Eaglen and tenor Ben Heppner], and the company came through for them, providing a noted conductor, Armin Jordan, generous rehearsal time and a provocative production directed by Francesca Zambello..."

—Anthony Tommasini, New York Times,
    "Tristan and Isolde for a New Century," August 3, 1998

"It's a dazzling production, visually memorable and musically exciting."

—Melinda Bargreen, Seattle Times,
    "Dazzling Tristan und Isolde was worth the wait,"
    August 3, 1998

"It may be no exaggeration to call it the finest performance the world has seen of this astonishingly difficult masterwork in the past quarter-century."

—Mike Silverman, Associated Press,
    "Tristan und Isolde Shines," August 2, 1998

"The staging, abetted by one of the most atmospheric lighting designs seen in any opera house lately, is expressionistic in the best sense, giving lip service to representing reality and then delving into the world inside the characters' minds."

—David Patrick Stearns, USA Today,
    "A fiery Tristan und Isolde ignites the Seattle stage,"
    August 3, 1998

"Over the last dozen years, Seattle Opera's general director Speight Jenkins has turned a respectable regional company into a world-class operation."

—Richard Dyer, Boston Globe,
    "Seattle sets up Tristan with strong Isolde," August 7, 1998