Conrad L. Osborne critiques Met's new Tristan production while reviewing Joseph Horowitz's novel The Disciple

Conrad L. Osborne offers a critical assessment of Yuvan Sharon's latest staging of "Tristan und Isolde" at the Metropolitan Opera, describing it as a disruptive production that embodies a meaningless, tech-driven environment, devoid of clarity and coherence. He expresses apprehension regarding its positive reception and its potential impact on future artistic endeavors. Additionally, the review discusses Joseph Horowitz's book "The Disciple," which dramatizes the life of conductor Anton Seidl and the Seidl Society. Horowitz previously chronicled Seidl's story in his 1994 work "Wagner Nights," which highlighted Seidl's role in bringing "Tristan und Isolde" to the United States. The novel includes notable figures such as tenor Albert Niemann and soprano Lilli Lehmann, featuring a passage where Seidl instructs de Reszke on the third act of Tristan. The premiere in 1886 was particularly memorable, with spectators reportedly rising and shouting in excitement.