(Credit: Marco Borggreve)

This week the Dutch National opera open a revival production of “Tristan und Isolde” by the late Pierre Audi. Every time that the Wagner work is presented is special as it one of the most challenging in the repertoire and therefore rarely performed. For this revival, the Dutch National Opera has chosen a well-known Wagnerian tenor and one of the most compelling sopranos of her generation, Malin Byström.

Byström has slowly progressed toward heavier Wagner roles through her career singing Elisabeth in “Tannhäuser” and Elsa in “Lohengrin.” Critics have raved stating, “Malin Byström is superb in capturing this more complex, ambivalent vision of Elsa, and sings the role very well, too.” Now with Isolde, the soprano is climbing one of the Mount Everests of soprano roles.

In a statement to the Dutch National Opera, she said, “For several years now, opera houses have been approaching me asking whether I would consider singing Isolde. My answer had always been ‘no.’ It had never been a role I would even have dreamed of performing; I thought I wouldn’t be capable vocally. But time moves on. I believe my voice and my technique have developed and become sufficiently stable. As an actress too, I feel drawn to this role.”

For those not in Amsterdam for the big debut, the soprano is set to tour with Jonas Kaufmann and sing the title role of “Fidelio” with the Cleveland Orchestra.

Recordings 

For those who want to listen to more of Byström, there is a recording of “Lohengrin” as well as a critically acclaimed recording of “Salome.”

Here she is as “Tosca,” Elsa and Salome.