Tristan and Isolde (in German Tristan und Isolde) is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner, which premiered in 1865 at the Royal Court Theatre in Munich. The plot is inspired by the medieval poem Tristan by Gottfried von Straßburg, which derives from the story of Tristan as told in Old French by Thomas of Britain in the 12th century. However, Wagner freely adapts the plot, infusing it with philosophical allusions from his own time, particularly ideas drawn from the philosophy of Schopenhauer. In fact, in a letter dated 1854 to Franz Liszt, Wagner writes that his encounter with the great philosopher had revealed to him a "vibrant and sincere desire for death." It comes as no surprise, then, that the aria "Liebestod" (literally "love death") sung by Isolde in her death scene serves as the culmination of this prevailing sentiment. This aria marks the pinnacle of late Romanticism, where tonality is pushed to the extreme.
Browse recordings of Liebestod from "Tristan und Isolde"
Listen to the Liebestod from the death of Isolde in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde on medici.tv
Whether you prefer live performances, replays, or video on demand, medici.tv is the ultimate online platform that offers you a VIP seat to experience the most beautiful concerts by world-renowned artists, all in high definition! Marking the tragic climax of Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde, the Liebestod from the death of Isolde is an aria filled with the romantic and philosophical suggestions that haunted the composer. On medici.tv, you can find some of the finest interpretations of this aria, available for you to listen to wherever and whenever you desire.
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The greatest artists grace medici.tv, the leading classical music streaming platform, with their performances of the Liebestod from the death of Isolde by Wagner
Nobel laureate Thomas Mann elaborated upon Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde, which includes the Liebestod from the death of Isolde: "Tristan reveals himself as deeply connected to the spirit of Romanticism [...] The night is the realm of all Romanticism; in discovering it, he has always identified truth within it, standing in contradiction to the illusions of the day. It is the realm of sentiment opposing reason." Wagner's words support this interpretation, emphasizing the exaltation of the irrational. In fact, in a letter to Mathilde Wesendonck, he described his work as "something terrible, capable of driving its audience insane." Furthermore, in the renowned Liebestod, the aria of Isolde's death as she surrenders herself beside her deceased lover, she sings: "Should I eagerly drink them, should I immerse myself in them?/Dissolve in the sweet, fragrant vapors?/Drown, disappear, unconscious/in the surging waves,/in melodious sounds,/in the soul of the world, in universal breath?/Supreme bliss!" as if she were praising death itself! On medici.tv, you will discover remarkable interpretations of the Liebestod from the death of Isolde!