Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
'Mild und leise wie er lächelt' 

Isoldes Liebestod - Mort d'Isolde

__________________ 

Mild und leise wie er lächelt,
wie das Auge hold eröffnet
--seht ihr's, Freunde? Säht ihr's nicht?
Immer lichter wie er leuchtet,
Stern--umstrahlet hoch sich hebt?
Seht ihr's nicht? Wie das Herz ihm
mutig schwillt? voll und hehr
im Busen ihm quillt? wie den Lippen,
wonnig mild, süsser Atem
sanft entweht: Freunde, seht!
Fühlt und seht ihr's nicht? Höre ich nur
diese Weise, die so wundervoll und leise,
Wonne klagend, Alles sagend
mild versöhnend aus ihm tönend,
in mich dringet, auf sich schwinget,
hold erhallend um mich klinget?
Heller schallend, mich unwallend,
sind es Wellen sanfter Lüfte?
sind es Wogen wonniger Düfte?
Wie sie schwellen mich umrauschen,
soll ich atmen, soll ich lauschen?
Soll ich schlürfen, untertauchen?
Süss in Düften mich verhauchen?
In dem wogenden Schwall, in den tönenden Schall,
in des Welt-Atems wehendem All--
ertrinken
versinken
unbewusst
höchste Lust!

*******

Softly and gently how he smiles
how his eyes fondly open
do see, friends? would you not see it?
always brighter he shines,
how in a blaze of stars he raises himself aloft?
do you not see it? how his heart
boldy swells? full and proud
rises in his breast? how from his lips,
joyously tender, sweet breath
gently flows: Freinds, look!
do you not feel and see it? do I along hear
this melody, which so wonderfully and softly
bliss lamenting saying everything,
gently reconciling sounding from him,
forces itself into me, rises by its own power
gently echoing resounds about me?
Ringing more brightly, flooding around me,
are they waves of gentle breezes?
are they billows of blissful fragrance?
How they swell murmur about me,
shall I breathe, shall I listen?
shall I drink them in, plunge into them?
sweetly in their fragrance expire?
in the billowing flood, in the echoing sound,
in the world-breaths wafting Allness--
drown--
sink---

__________________________

Violetta Urmana Schwetzingen 2003

Nina Stemme

Waltraud Meier  Daniel Barenboim 7 December 2007 La Scala 

Deborah Voigt Ravinia Festival 2000

Jessye Norman 1987 Salzburg Festival. Karajan & Wiener Philharmoniker

Leontyne Price 7 July 1985. James Levine, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Shirley Verrett and Zubin Mehta at the Avery Fisher Hall 1977

Birgit Nilsson - the "loving" Isolde

Eileen Farrell from the Bell Telephone Hour 1959-1966

Kirsten Flagstad and Furtwängler

Joan Sutherland

Astrid Varnay - 1959Ferdinand Leitner 

Bamberger  Symphoniker

"vengeful Celtic princess"

Frida Leider - She goes a little faster than she would have live because a 78 rpm disk could only last 4½ minutes, but this gives her interpretation a tremendous visionary intensity.