The text by Gottfried von Strassburg that Wagner used, is not a unified novel in the sense we understand it, but a collection of tales that revolve around the young lovers. What Wagner did -as with the Ring- was take what he wanted to craft something that is actually closer to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Specifically the constant references to night and day, to sunshine and darkness, to black and white, the reversal of normality, because the lovers can only be true when they are in the dark, unseen, at night. Thus, when Tristan hears Isolde coming at the end, he cries 'What, do I hear the light?' -the syntax is wrong but the meaning is clear. The great pity is that productions these days are not faithful to Wagner's intentions -a ship in the first act, a garden in the second, the castle exposed to the sun in the third -all have a purpose, but I guess we have to live with Regie-Theater and just hope the music does its job.
Great to see Stephen Fry talking about opera!
Stephen fry is such a great character, with his understanding and love for wagners music its a joy listening to him!
This opera is an amazing work. You leave the theatre different.
Thanks for the great explanation. Also for the fantastic staging
Mahler is a direct descendent of this open unfolding infinite possibilities music.
The text by Gottfried von Strassburg that Wagner used, is not a unified novel in the sense we understand it, but a collection of tales that revolve around the young lovers. What Wagner did -as with the Ring- was take what he wanted to craft something that is actually closer to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Specifically the constant references to night and day, to sunshine and darkness, to black and white, the reversal of normality, because the lovers can only be true when they are in the dark, unseen, at night. Thus, when Tristan hears Isolde coming at the end, he cries 'What, do I hear the light?' -the syntax is wrong but the meaning is clear. The great pity is that productions these days are not faithful to Wagner's intentions -a ship in the first act, a garden in the second, the castle exposed to the sun in the third -all have a purpose, but I guess we have to live with Regie-Theater and just hope the music does its job.
love from persia
Unbelievably stupid and infantile story line meets incredibly sublime music, just like almost everything else Wagner.
I've been studying Lohengrin for a while - it's anything but stupid or infantile. The same goes for The Ring. I have yet to discover the other operas.
Unbelievably stupid and infantile story line meets incredibly sublime music, just like almost everything else Wagner.