Tristan und Isolde, Live in HD

This academic year, Grinnell will stream ten Metropolitan operas as part of the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD movie theater transmissions program. The first in the series, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, will be streamed at 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, at Harris Center Cinema. Kelly Maynard, associate professor of history, will deliver the opera talk at 10:30 a.m.

Tristan und Isolde is a tragic story that follows an Irish princess, Isolde, who has been captured and taken to Cornwall aboard Tristan’s ship. Tristan’s uncle, King Marke, plans to marry Isolde, but she resolves to poison herself before he can. When the poison gets switched with a love potion, Isolde and Tristan begin their heartbreaking love affair.

Sir Simon Rattle conducts, and the show stars seasoned Wagnerians Nina Stemme and Stuart Skelton as Isolde and Tristan, respectively.

Tristan und Isolde is the first in a series of 10 operas to be broadcast at the Harris Center. All performances begin at noon, unless otherwise noted. Opera talks take place a half-hour before the broadcast. The remaining operas this season are:

• Oct. 22: Mozart’s Don Giovanni with an opera talk by Randye Jones, supervisor of the Burling Media Room.
• Dec. 10: Saariaho’s l’Amour de loin with an opera talk by Gene Gaub, associate professor of music.
• Jan. 7, 2017: Verdi’s Nabucco with an opera talk by Don Smith, professor emeritus of history.
• Jan. 21: Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette with an opera talk by Kelly Maynard, associate professor of history.
• Feb. 25: Dvorak’s Rusalka with an opera talk by Jennifer Brown, associate professor of music.
• March 11: Verdi’s La Traviata with an opera talk by Jennifer Brown, associate professor of music.
• March 25: Mozart’s Idomeneo. There will be no opera talk before this performance.
• April 22: Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with an opera talk by Kelly Herold, associate professor of Russian.
• May 13, 11:30 a.m.: Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. There will be no opera talk before this performance.

Refreshments will be available for sale in the lobby of the cinema before each opera and during intermission.

Tickets are available at the Pioneer Bookshop and at the door on the day of the show. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, children, and Met Opera members.

The Office of the President has generously funded tickets for Grinnell College faculty, staff, and students, and tickets are available for free at all locations. Family members not employed by the College are required to purchase tickets.

Grinnell College welcomes the participation of people with disabilities. Accommodation requests may be made to Conference Operations, 641-269-3235.