One way in which this comes through in the music is through regular use of just one long succession of continuous phrases. This creates the feeling that there is no break between phrases and the phrases just continue immediately from one another. Linked to this is the presence of seemingly unending melodies. This is further enhance in bars 78-80 where rhythmic diminution of the desire motif occurs with the addition of a dotted rhythm from glance motif. By making the phrase even longer than it was originally, it stretches the phrase out to make it seem never-ending.
At the beginning of the piece, the expanded version of opening few bars in oboe which occurs from bar 10, is even more prolonged than the original desire theme, which ascends chromatically, and this creates the feeling that the phrase is never-ending as, harmonically, the phrase is not going anywhere predictable.
From the Tristan chord, it resolves to another dischord as the other chords go down against the upwards resolution. This creates an uncomfortable feeling as a listener as you do not expect this to happen and it is because of this that a feeling of longing for resolution occurs.
Throughout the entire piece there is constant harmonic ambiguity. This creates an unsatisfactory feeling as the listener never feels as if the piece has settled to a specific key or tonality. It is because of this that the listener might expect certain harmonic progressions, but when they don’t occur, you expect another one, and when that does not occur then it feels never ending, creating a sense of longing and desire for that cadence. A good example of this are the prolonged, unfinished cadences, for example at bar
In addition to this, interrupted cadences, for example at bars 16-17 in which an E major chord goes to F major, creates a sense that it is unexpected and so you expect it to resolve, but it doesn’t and this creates a sense of longing and desire for the chords to resolve. A similar feature occurs in bars 18-36, when the bass part ascends chromatically. An unsatisfactory feeling, and you do not know when the chromaticisim will end, creating the feeling as if the line is longing and does not stop but is unending as the harmony does not resolve or go anywhere specific.
The quote above states that there is ‘one thing alone left living’ which in the context of the whole opera is the love shared between Isolde and Tristan. This finally comes through in the music at bar 83 as this is the only truly tutti bar following a large build up towards this major turning point in the prelude. The full orchestration creates a feeling of relief following the tension and longing that occurred previously and is emphasized by the fortissimo dynamic marking in all instruments as well as the tremolo that occurs in the divided viola parts and cell part.
by
Joanne
