Stephen Gould, please come home

American heldentenor Stephen Gould is the highlight of an uneven but very satisfying Act II of Tristan und Isolde at the Kennedy Center

The big draws for Wednesday night’s National Symphony Orchestra concert featuring Act II of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde were a) the opportunity to hear Christine Goerke singing Isolde for the first time in the U.S. (she sang portions of the role at the Lucerne Festival this summer), and b) to get an early impression of Music Director Gianandrea Noseda’s facility with Wagner’s big pieces as he prepares for his first Ring Cycle at Zurich Opera in the spring of 2022. I don’t think anyone walked out of the Kennedy Center Concert Hall unimpressed on either score-- the evening was a success on nearly every level, but the most noteworthy performance came from American tenor Stephen Gould, a singer who, unless one is paying attention to Europe’s opera houses and festivals, is not at all well known in the U.S.

Gould trained at the New England Conservatory of Music and spent two years with the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Center for American Artists, but his operatic career in the U.S. never really took hold. According to his bio, the fifty-seven year-old tenor spent the first decade of his career kicking around his native country doing a little bit of opera and concert performances, and lots of musical theater, including nearly eight years in the national touring version of Phantom after he was cut loose by Chicago. 

Then he caught some breaks in Europe, including an appearance as Florestan in a well-reviewed Fidelio, which led to engagements at Bayreuth (Tannhäuser, 2004) and the Salzburg Festival in 2011, both under the baton of Christian Thielemann. During that time, his appearances in the States have been infrequent. He made his Met debut in 2010 as Erik in Der fliegende Holländer (with Deborah Voigt as Senta), and sang one performance in the title role of Siegfried during the Met’s 2011 Ring Cycle, covering for Ben Heppner. Ironically, that’s the same role in the same cycle that gave Jay Hunter Morris his big break. Meanwhile, over in Europe, Gould is now engaged at Germany’s most prestigious houses singing the leading heldentenor roles, and everyone who was at last night’s concert understands why. Stephen Gould. Remember the name, and if he’s singing Wagner anywhere near you, don’t miss it.

No offense to JMo, but how do we get this guy back? 

Now let’s back up. Overall, this was easily the best NSO concert I’ve attended during the three years I’ve been in the DC Metro area. But… the audience and performers alike would have been better served by having the orchestra perform Tristan’s Overture before launching into Act II. Not because it would have helped the somewhat surprisingly jarring entry straight into the middle of the opera, but it could have created the opportunity for Noseda and the orchestra to get warmed-up, go big, and play one of the most sublime pieces of music ever written at loud volume without anyone minding, and more importantly, without powering over the singer everyone was there to hear, which was a consistent problem for the first third of the performance.

Noseda and the NSO are turning into a powerful pairing, and for the most part they sounded up for the challenges presented in Wagner’s big operas. During the climactic parts of the score, Noseda leaps about on the podium making emphatic gestures to his musicians, which creates a dynamic visual, but despite his enthusiasm, the orchestra still encountered the usual Wagner minefields: problems drawing clean, clear playing from the brass section; mistaking volume for dramatic impact, lack of dramatic impact, and pacing.

Still, Goerke’s performance provided ample evidence there’s a lot to look forward to when she takes on Isolde in toto. Act II of Tristan und Isolde is an endurance test for the singers, and as it progressed Goerke’s voice grew clearer and brighter. By the time she and Gould had reached the end of their extended duet they created a sense of palpable awe through their singing, bringing the audience into silent, rapt attention (except for the service dog snoring in the seat behind me).

Making his NSO debut, Gould also had a brief moment competing with the orchestra’s volume when he entered, but he soon eased into one of the most convincing, and disarmingly comfortable performances of Wagner I’ve ever experienced from a male singer. I won’t say he made singing Tristan look easy, but it looks like it comes naturally to him, and more importantly, sounds like it. 

Also making their NSO debuts were mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova as Brangaene, bass Günther Groissböck as King Marke, and tenor Neal Cooper as Melot. All three impressed. Gubanova has a beautiful tone and was easy to hear even when she was placed off to the side above the stage, and Groissböck’s portrayal was arresting through his use of focused theatrical power combined with his forceful, dramatic voice. Baritone and former Domingo-Cafritz Artist Hunter Enoch had the thankless role of Kurwenal, and nailed it.

The program repeats Friday night at 8:00 pm and also will be performed at the David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center on Sunday. Friday’s performance will be livestreamed on medici.tv, the NSO’s website, and on NSO’s social media outlets.