Six-Hour Wagner Masterpiece to Receive First Full Production in Korea
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
Richard Wagner's epic opera Tristan und Isolde will receive its first full-stage, uncut Korean production from next month, running 4–7. While shortened concert versions have appeared before, this staging presents all three acts over a total of six hours including intermissions. The National Opera of Korea says the production marks the culmination of years of Wagner work and a milestone for Korean opera. Swiss director Stephan Merki, known for a 2023 Tristan in Gotha (Kassel/Cottbus region), leads a team of Wagner specialists. Double-cast leads include Brian Register and Stuart Skelton as Tristan and Eliška Weissová (Eliška Vaišova) and Katharine Foster as Isolde (Isolda). The Seoul Philharmonic will play the score, its first opera performance in 13 years. Sets and costumes are reimagined in a modern, space-travel aesthetic: Act 1 is staged as a giant spaceship, and costumes draw on spacesuits, armor, and naval uniforms. Conductor Jaap van Zweden invites audiences to experience Wagner’s immersive sound world, calling it addictive and urging listeners to become part of the music.
