Tristan und Isolde with Valery Gergiev

Mr. Pape sings the role of King Marke, from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, in Saint Petersburg, Russia on June 15 and 16. The performances are part of the White Nights Music Festival, which celebrates long summer evenings with daylight stretching into the night. Celebrated Russian conductor Valery Gergiev conducts a concert version of Acts II and III of the opera in the beautiful Mariinsky Concert Hall.  Mr. Pape is joined by Mikhail Vekua as Tristan, Heidi Melton as Isolde, Yevgeny Nikitin as Kurwenal, and Ekaterina Gubanova as Brangäne.  Known as one of Mr. Pape’s signature roles, he is hailed as the King Marke of his generation, and has sung the role in opera houses throughout the world, to rave reviews.  WQXR wrote of his recent portrayal at The Metropolitan Opera, “…[a] peerless self with his vocally clean, but dramatically powerful King Marke portrayal, pacing the stage in rumination during his great Act II soliloquy.”  The Mariinsky Theater will be releasing a live recording of René Pape singing lead roles in both Tristan und Isolde and Das Rheingold. Watch Mr. Pape speak about singing in Saint Petersburg via YouTube.