The Musical and the Philosophical Analysis of the Opera Tristan and Isolde by Wagner

Özet

German composer, theorist, conductor Wagner invented a structure of continuous narrative flow, which is different than the traditional and conventional opera structure. He had a strong influence on the musical world lasting for at least one century. His fascinating opera Tristan and Isolde is one of the most interesting and loved ones in music history. In this opera, everything is symbolic and works for the mythic world that Wagner created. The opera is based on a medieval Celtic legend about a romantic tragedy of love and death told by an exceptional music. Wagner, being under the influence of Buddhism via Schopenhauer, composed the opera using the poetry of Gottfried von Strassburg, and touching subjects such as karma, enlightenment, desire, compassion, love and death. Although the use of symbolism and mythology contributes to the feeling of a distant sense from reality, Wagner thinks that it is the most intimate way of mentioning humanity. He mixes elements from different philosophies, religions and beliefs, making his work difficult to understand for an audience without the proper philosophical background and knowledge. The symbolism of day and night at Tristan and Isolde breaks the tradition of seeing day as positive representing life and hope, and night as negative representing death and decay according to the tradition in Western literature, and thus surprises the audience. In this study, this opera is evaluated musically and philosophically, with the perspective of well-known philosopher Schopenhauer especially. Musical terms such as leitmotif, suspension, dissonance and Tristan chord are examined. The contribution of these musical terms and philosophy to making Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde one of the most important works in the history of music is emphasized.