Having sung the "[i]West-wärts schweift der Blick[/i]" aria from the opening of "[i]Tristan und Isolde[/i]", I can say with all due confidence that the overture is very long and [i]very[/i] slow to build up to any appreciable intensity, before it dies down completely, leaving the tenor with the unenviable task of pulling the first first note of the aforementioned aria out of his ass because he has no lead-in or other support to guide him to the right key. Now the opening of Act III of "[i]Die Walküre[/i]" on the other hand... Well, let's just say that, if it was good enough for "[i]Apocalypse Now[/i]", it's good enough for Destiny.