Wagner's Tristan und Isolde: A Short Guide to a Great Opera

By Michael Steen

With the 'Tristan chord' at the start of Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde, the composer launched modern music. The political refugee, a former revolutionary, was living in Zurich when the lovely Mathilde Wesendonck, the wife of a rich businessman, inspired him to break off from working on Siegfried, part of his 'Ring cycle', and refocus his efforts on Tristan. Expelled from there, Wagner continued to work on the opera in the Palazzo Giustiniani in Venice, and finished it in Lucerne in 1859. The première, in Munich, was delayed until 1865, after the 'Mad' King Ludwig of Bavaria came to Wagner's financial rescue.

Wagner blended Gottfried von Strasburg's medieval epic with Schopenhauer's philosophy and his own idiosyncratic views on the psychology and metaphysics of love. (As well, Wagner reflected his views on Greek drama and the integrated Gesamtkunstwerk, or 'art-work'.) The result is a torrent of sound which depicts almost indecent passion. The Liebestod, in which the sexual love of Tristan and Isolde is consummated through death, and which is often presented in concert performance, is some of the most glorious music ever written.

Written by Michael Steen, author of the acclaimed The Lives and Times of the Great Composers, 'Short Guides to Great Operas' are concise, entertaining and easy to read. They are packed with useful information and informed opinion, helping to make you a truly knowledgeable opera-goer, and so maximising your enjoyment of a great musical experience.

Other 'Short Guides to Great Operas' that you may enjoy include The Magic Flute, Eugene Onegin and Peter Grimes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Icon Books
• Release date: Feb 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781848315433

Book preview

Front coverTitle page

Published in the UK in 2013 by Icon Books Ltd,

Omnibus Business Centre, 29–41 North Road, London N7 9DP

email: [e-mail]

www.iconbooks.net

ISBN: 978-1-84831-543-3 (ePub format)

ISBN: 978-1-84831-545-7 (Adobe ebook format)

Content previously published in Great Operas, published in the UK in 2012 by Icon Books Ltd

Text copyright © 2012, 2013 Michael Steen

The author has asserted his moral rights.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Typesetting by Marie Doherty

CONTENTS

Title page

Copyright

PREFACE

USING THIS EBOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

WAGNER’S TRISTAN UND ISOLDE

THE OPERA AND ITS COMPOSER

WHO’S WHO AND WHAT’S WHAT

THE INTERVAL: TALKING POINTS

The demanding roles

More on the ancient sources

Darkness and Light: the philosophical stuff

The Tristan motif and chord

‘Modern’ productions

Wagner’s poetry

ACT BY ACT

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Sources of quotes

Other sources

NOTES

Short Guides to Great Operas

PREFACE

This guide is aimed at the ordinary opera-goer and opera-lover, usually a busy person who wants to know the essentials of the opera but has little time to grasp them.

It provides key background information to Tristan und Isolde, told engagingly by someone who knows the opera intimately.

It is light, easy to read, and entertaining. Relevant information has been carefully selected to enhance your appreciation of Wagner’s work.

It is authoritative, but not dense or academic. It is unburdened with the clutter that can easily be obtained elsewhere. It concentrates on information that it will help you to know in advance.

Read quickly before going to the opera or listening to it at home, you will get the very best out of the performance and have a truly enjoyable experience.

Opera can be a great social occasion. Being knowledgeable and well-informed, you’ll appreciate this magical art-form much more if you read this first.

I hope you enjoy the opera!

Michael Steen

USING THIS EBOOK

A very quick grasp of the opera can be gained by reading the opening section on ‘The opera and its composer’ and the ensuing ‘Who’s who and what’s what’. Further elaboration may be found in the sections entitled ‘The interval: talking points’ and ‘Act by act’.

The footnotes and boxes are an integral part of the information. The reader is encouraged to go to these by clicking on the links.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Steen OBE studied at the Royal College of Music, was organ scholar at Oriel College, Oxford, and has been chairman of both the RCM Society and the Friends of the V&A Museum. He is a trustee of the Gerald Coke Handel Foundation and Anvil Arts, and Treasurer of The Open University.

WAGNER’S TRISTAN UND ISOLDE

A SHORT GUIDE TO A GREAT OPERA

The opera and its composer

Who’s who