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Wagner, Tristan Und Isolde, Prelude: Analysis

The document analyzes the opening of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, exploring various interpretations of the first chord through roman numeral analysis, key relationships, voice leading, motives, and other techniques. It discusses interpreting the first sonority as chord tones versus embellishing tones and considers analyzing it as different chord types such as half-diminished or altered dominant chords.

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1K views2 pages

Wagner, Tristan Und Isolde, Prelude: Analysis

The document analyzes the opening of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, exploring various interpretations of the first chord through roman numeral analysis, key relationships, voice leading, motives, and other techniques. It discusses interpreting the first sonority as chord tones versus embellishing tones and considers analyzing it as different chord types such as half-diminished or altered dominant chords.

Uploaded by

한세용
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BAIN MUSC 216

Theory of Twentieth-Century Music

ANALYSIS
Wagner, Tristan und Isolde, Prelude
1.

Analyst Steven G. Laitz says the interpretation of the Prelude's first chord "rests on a single question: distinguishing
chord tones from embellishing tones." 1 We will explore this analytical hypothesis below. To get started, carefully notate
the first vertical sonority (FBDG) using whole notes on a grand staff. Be sure to include clefs, a grand staff brace,
and barlines. We will refer to this sonority below as the Tristan chord.

=====
=====
As you will see below, this is but one of many possible interpretations of the first chord.
Fill in the blanks.
2. Given the following NCT interpretation, provide a roman numeral analysis for mm. 1-17.2

3.

An alternative approach would be to assume that the Tristan chord is stated four times in mm. 1-17, appearing on the
downbeats of m. _____, m. _____, m. _____, and m. _____. The first three statements imply a sequence of rising
transpositions, whereas the fourth statement is simply an octave transfer of the _______________ statement.

Steven G. Laitz, The Complete Musician, 3rd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), forthcoming.
This harmonic analysis assumes that the underlying harmony in m. 2 is a Fr +6 chord. Of course, the "?" in m. 10 suggests that this is not the complete story.
For a different approach, see Miguel A. Roig-Francoli, Harmony in Context (New York: McGraw-Hill), 844-850.
2

Tristan Analysis: Page 1 of 2

BAIN MUSC 216


Theory of Twentieth-Century Music

4.

Many theorists have noted that the prelude employs six interrelated _______________ that occur throughout the prelude
and have specific programmatic meanings in the opera.

5.

In mm. 1-11, each subphrase ends on a V7 chord (Mm) that uniquely implies a tonality, or key. Wagner, however, seems
to substitute _______________ for the normally expected tonic triad. Counting in eighth note pulses, the duration of the
silence measures _____, _____, and _____ (with fermata) pulses, respectively, a series of durational proportions that
helps to propel the music forward.

6.

Using K/P-style key symbols, complete the tonal plan diagram for the sequence of rising tonicizations implied by the V7
chords in mm. 1-17. Be sure to notice that they outline the home key's tonic triad.
_____ :
i:

_____:
III:

_____:
i:
_____:
V/V:

7.

If the G in m. 2 is viewed as a NCT, the chord BDFA could be also interpreted as the altered ________________
dominant chord V7(5)/V (2nd inversion), rather than a Fr+6.

8.

If the A in m. 2 is viewed as a NCT, and the Tristan chord is enharmonically respelled as F-A-C-E, it might interpreted
as a half-_______________ seventh (dm) chord. In this case, the reappearances of the Tristan chord in m. 6 and m. 10
might be interpreted as the root position 'dm' chords: G_______________ and D_______________,
respectively.

9.

Alternatively, the Tristan chord (m. 2) might be viewed as a four-voice simultaneity created by the superimposition of
two intervals (FB & DG): the __________ fourth, or tritone, formed between the B and T against the __________
fourth formed between the A and S. Wagner seems to invert this interval-pair juxtaposition in m. _____.

10. The opening three-note motive (AFE) implies the of A minor. However, the agogic accent (accent by virtue of
durational emphasis) on pitch class _____ creates a sense of tonal ambiguity or imbalence because the accent is placed
on scale degree _____ rather than on ^1 (tonic) or ^5 (dominant).
11. In mm. _____ - _____, Wagner expands the opening three-note motive (AFE) by one note creating a related four-note
gesture whose last note is the tonic note of the home key.
12. In mm. 2-3, Laitz refers to the ascending chromatic line G________B in the S voice as a melodic cell because it
appears in various guises throughout the prelude. For example, in mm. 1-3, it appears in an inverted form as the
descending chromatic line in the A voice: ________________. Both lines span a __________ third. Comparing the
S and T voices, unveils that pitch classes B and G participate in a voice _______________. Finally, the bass
line (FE) could be interpreted as being derived from the _____ voice.
13. Wagner transposes mm. 2-3 up a m3, or _____ semitones, to create mm. 6-7. However, examining mm. 4-5 closely, we
see that the note _____ in m. 5's three note gesture (BGG) is not a result of a strict transposition. This tonal
adjustment allows all of the tones in mm. 4-5 belong to the home key of _____:
14. In m. 14, the motive _____-_____ is a fragment of the melody presented in mm. 10-11 (i.e., the last two notes of that
figure). This developmental technique, called _______________, also helps to propel the music forward.
15. In mm. 16-17, the passage concludes with a _____________ cadence rather than a more conclusive authentic cadence.
Another emphasis of ^6, the EF bass motion may also be interpreted as a retrogression of the bass motion in mm. 2-3.
16. An example of extended tertian harmony, the dominant seventh chord in m. _____ has been extended by a third to
include a ninth. (Be sure that you used a V9 chord in your analysis on the previous page.)
17. Pitch classes F and B play a central role in this passage. For example, in addition to being the lower two notes of the
Tristan chord, they also form the distinctive S-B counterpoint in the appoggiatura that occurs in m. _____.

Tristan Analysis: Page 2 of 2

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