Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde: 150th anniversary
Why did Wagner choose such an unusual style? Partly it was the result of a new outlook on life. He discovered the work of Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, in 1854. Schopenhauer believed that people were driven by unachievable desires; the chasm between what they want and what they can get is immiserating. Wagner was inspired by such pessimism. For a man prone to fleeting romantic liaisons, love was always unsatisfying. And he came to believe, again thanks to Schopenhauer, that music was the best way to express such complex emotions.
.. “Tristan” is all about dissatisfaction. The love between Tristan and Isolde is so intense it cannot possibly be realised in the real world; their only option is to die together. To represent the pain of their unachievable desire, Wagner had to dispense with conventional harmony. He also could not offer the audience neat chunks of music that were easily digested. He wanted them to feel as anxious and confused as the protagonists.