Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde": An Essay on the Wagnerian Drama

"Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde': An Essay on the Wagnerian Drama" by George Ainslie Hight is a guiding analysis for those new to Richard Wagner, likely written during the early 1900s. The essay illuminates what makes Wagner's musical dramas unique when compared to older styles of opera. It suggests people need to deeply understand Wagner's goals and open their minds, as earlier operas from France and Italy may have led them to expect something different. You will learn about Wagner's deep thinking and artistic skills, asking the reader to leave behind what they know about opera in order to appreciate Wagner's creations. It will ask people to connect with the strong feelings shown in Wagner's music and plays. The early parts touch on important ideas, like Wagner's writings about his own work and how his dramas express ideas, and discuss the wider effects of his work on art and values in society. Wagner is shown not just as someone who writes music, but as someone changes how plays are made, pushing the reader to grasp how Wagner combines different arts in his dramatic works.