Some Remarks on Richard Wagner's Music Drama “Tristan und Isolde”

Extract

It can neither be expected nor desired that unanimity of opinion should prevail among the members of the Musical Association with regard to the novel views and daring procedure of such an exceptional man as Richard Wagner, whose artistic utterances are at this moment exciting so much attention among us. But because these matters are now being discussed with an earnestness from which the unhealthy warmth of partisanship and prejudice is not altogether absent, no apology is needed for directing the attention of this assemblage to the subject of the present paper. It may be as well, however, to explain that when I undertook to lay before you some of the impressions derived from a patient study of Wagner's “Tristan und Isolde,” I was unaware that a still greater work by the same hand would be placed before the London musical public this season. But a little reflection convinced me that the choice I had made would still be the most appropriate. In the first place, the subject of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” is too vast to be dealt with in the scope of a paper of reasonable length. Again, it has already received the most copious treatment by writers of commanding ability, and any additional remarks from me would be scarcely less than an impertinence. And lastly “Tristan und Isolde” is no less representative of its author's genius, presenting the peculiarities of his system in their fullest development, though with greater conciseness and, it may be added, with more undeviating consistency than in the tetralogy. The main features of Wagner's art work are now fairly understood, and it is unnecessary to dilate upon them, at any rate to the present audience. But even now the literary phases of his music-dramas are not fully appreciated, and I may be pardoned for deprecating in advance the kind of criticism which “Tristan und Isolde” is likely to receive in some quarters.