«Tristan und Isolde» show

Wagner conceived this opera as a one-way journey into the human being’s inner self. The celebrated potion —of death or love, depending on who handles it— changes Tristan and Isolde’s fate in an instant, unleashing a passion that breaks laws, hierarchies and wills. What follows is an implacable crescendo: the nocturnal fervour of the second act, where the music reaches a degree of ecstasy seldom equalled, and the celebrated «Liebestod», that final transfiguration in which Isolde surrenders herself to a love that finds fulfilment only in death.

Bárbara Lluch’s new production places the protagonists before a world that imposes identities they no longer want. Both seek in love a break with everyday falsehood, a path to reinventing themselves. But that impulse, as absolute as it is fragile, ends up precipitating them towards an abyss where reality and desire can no longer be distinguished.

Susanna Mälkki’s baton approaches this monumental score —one of the pillars of music history— with the precision and depth demanded by its bold chromaticism and expansive orchestration. The cast also marks a milestone: Lise Davidsen, one of the most celebrated voices of our time, makes her Liceu debut as Isolde, accompanied by heldentenor Clay Hilley in the demanding role of Tristan.

The result promises to be not only an opera, but a transformative experience. A reminder of why «Tristan und Isolde» remains, a century and a half later, a work that fascinates and unsettles in equal measure.