Wagner’s epic love tragedy Tristan und Isolde is finally hitting Shanghai, courtesy of the Bayreuth Festival’s three-year opera takeover. This 2022 production, directed by Roland Schwab, features powerhouse singers like Lise Lindstrom and Erin Caves, with Xu Zhong conducting the Shanghai Opera House Orchestra. Expect hypnotic music, minimalist staging, and a whole lot of doomed romance.

Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde isn’t just an opera—it’s a five-hour emotional avalanche that redefined classical music. Written between 1857-1859, this revolutionary work dives deep into love, death, and transcendence, with a score so lush it practically invented modern harmony. The story follows Tristan, a knight tasked with escorting Irish princess Isolde to marry his uncle, King Marke. But after chugging a love potion (oops), their forbidden passion spirals into one of opera’s most devastating finales.

For Shanghai’s first-ever staging, the Bayreuth Festival brings its acclaimed 2022 production—a sleek, modern take with an oval-shaped set, dreamy projections, and a focus on Wagner’s hypnotic music. Director Roland Schwab strips away excess, letting the score’s raw power take center stage. Leading the cast are soprano Lise Lindstrom (a global Isolde favorite) and tenor Erin Caves, with Xu Zhong conducting the Shanghai Opera House Orchestra and Chorus.

This is the opening act of the Bayreuth in Shanghai series, a three-year collab between the legendary German festival and Shanghai Grand Theatre. If you’re into high drama, sonic grandeur, or just want to brag about surviving Wagner, grab tickets before they’re gone.

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