In Zurich, Switzerland, in 1852, Richard Wagner met a woman named Mathilde Wesendonck. She was married to a silk merchant who enjoyed the music Wagner composed so much that he eventually granted the composer a place to stay on Wesendonck's estate. It wasn't long before Wagner developed a romantic interest in Mathilde. We know very little about their relationship from here on, but we have evidence that there was some sort of platonic love, but that Mathilde did not want to jeopardize her marriage to the silk merchant. (Wagner was also married at the time.) However, for the next five years, this woman would be the inspiration for many of Wagner's most striking and classic works. Chief among these is the opera Tristan and Isolde, a musical masterpiece that throws a foil on the concepts of love, passion and, ultimately, how far one might go for that love. The work begins with a prelude that is probably the most striking but certainly the most famous of the works generated by this story, due in large part to the precursor elements of modernism present in the piece. Although the Prelude is predominantly romantic in subject matter and emotional impact, it achieves these effects by methods that will only be used in the future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The best and most obvious place to start is at the beginning. However, this location contains more than just the beginning, but the foundation of much of the piece and much of the reason why there is modernism in this music. At 0:10, and in a recurring way, we find the so-called “Tristan chord”, a combination of notes that was certainly the cause of more than a few dizzy spells at the opera's premiere. The chord evokes a feeling of sadness through unsatiated longing, immediately drawing the listener into the piece. The subsequent rise complements the chord, as if to leave the listener with the feeling of being so close to satisfaction, yet so far away that it is pulled back at the last second. Indeed, the feeling continues throughout the eleven minutes of the prelude, even until the curtain rises. Why does it create this feeling so well? How does it describe what mere melody cannot, or could not equally? One reason is that it repeats several times in the first minute and a half of the piece, before the music moves on to seemingly bigger and better things. More important, however, is the structure of the agreement. Like the feeling of almost satisfaction it creates, the chord itself seems to be very close to the cadence, close to settling with a triad, but instead introduces a fourth note, and falters and distances itself over the next ten seconds with the "Desire" leitmotif , which we will talk about later. Despite its effectiveness in creating an atmosphere that sets the entire prelude, the Tristan chord is rather unremarkable when compared to a more modern example of musical atmosphere creation. What makes it noteworthy is its context: the fact that it was composed and first performed in the mid-19th century. To 21st century ears, the piece does little more than set a mood, but over 150 years ago it managed to help erase 19th century conventions. It doesn't fit into these past ideas of what one might call "harmony." He decides to run with a broken rule instead, and the boy runs. This concept of broken rules, somewhat prevalent in the piece, helped pave the way for modernist composers, albeit several decades later. To continue in a logical direction, the next topic should be the tonality of the piece, or here, a slight case of atonality. (Forbe clear, many modernist elements of the Tristan and Isolde Prelude are slight.) Atonality is the term we use to describe a piece that is freed from any kind of musical scale constraints, to the point that it can no longer be called chromaticism and, instead , right rhythm. While it never gets as close to atonal as in the work of, say, Webern or Schönberg, there is such an amount of chromaticism, much more than is normally found in Romantic compositions, that it could be said to be heading down the road of the atonal. atonality. The result is a beautiful, otherworldly experience that contributes heavily to the themes of inexhaustible longing and longing presented by the Tristan Chord. The chromaticism in the Prelude spares no respite in its omnipresence, leaving the listener dazzled, with hair pulled back as if having just gone on a wild ride. There is no relaxation, no calming chord, no pause in the music that allows for any kind of respite. From about 1:35 until the eight minute mark of the piece, there is only increasing frustration and agitation at the lack of any feeling of calm, yet it builds with such grace (1:43-3:00, 6:35- 8:00) to leave an unprepared person in tears. The chromaticism, as well as the resulting tension, dynamics and tonality reflect the content of the libretto, in which Tristan and Isolde's love is never satisfied, and in the end the couple can only be united in death. This perfects the Prelude, or rather, the Prelude perfects the libretto and the opera, serving its purpose so well that it stands out as the most notable, and probably the most beautiful piece (a case can be made for the final “Liebestod”). )As stated before, atonality is a trait of modernist music, and chromaticism can be considered a sort of stepping stone (or a gateway drug, depending on who you ask) to that destination. As mentioned above, those who used this feature include Webern and Schönberg. It can be assumed, therefore, that the Tristan Prelude could be considered an honorary member of the modernist group, partly because of its heavy use of chromaticism and the Tristan Chord, which has its own explanation. Let's pause here and discuss another far-reaching effect of the prelude and the work itself: leitmotifs. When a musical phrase within a larger piece coherently accompanies a person, place, thing or idea, it is called a leitmotif. Often played by orchestra, leitmotifs are designed to hold the audience's attention through a large-scale work, especially an opera. Although the concept of musical phrases paired with stage events is hardly original in Wagner's music, he popularized the idea and was the first to use it famously. After all, when you create a sprawling musical phenomenon like The Ring of the Nibelung, which is often estimated at 15-18 hours in length, you need more than just good drama to keep the listener's attention. Although Tristan and Isolde premiered before The Ring, its important leitmotif concept is not absent. There are at least two in the Prelude alone, first introduced at the very beginning: Tristan's “Desire,” followed by Tristan's Chord at 0:10, and then Isolde's “Desire” at 0:14. “Desire” occurs most often, appearing in the Prelude thirteen times. A modern example of a leitmotif can famously be found in John Williams' film scores, the most famous of which are those of Star Wars. In these films, leitmotifs accompany nearly every major character and idea, from Princess Leia's floating theme, to the plodding march of the Empire, and the sweeping Love motif found in The Empire Strikes Back..