Gustave Klimt - The Kiss
Mild und Liese - The Liebestod
Richard Wagner - Tristan und Isolde
After three days in Spain, we head up to Northern Europe, the cold climes: the gloomy, rainy, windy coast of Cornwall where two legendary lovers loved themselves to death: Tristan and Isolde. This is the story about a handsome knight named Tristan whose job is to escort a beautiful betrothed princess named Isolde across the sea to her future husband, the King of Cornwall. Well, you can guess what happened!You can read about the opera and the story in further detail by-clicking-here.
We're in Wagner territory now, the realm of the Wagnerian dramatic soprano. Gone are all the pretty ornaments of Italy, the trills and the showmanship...that art form we call the "aria". Wagner is seriously all about story and the premise of Tristan und Isolde is that ultimate love is only found in death, hence the name of this aria...oops that's a dirty word in Wagnerian vocabulary. This is a piece of Gesamtkunstwerk or music drama It is called dramatic singing; it is not an aria. Wagner did not write arias! Well, that's what Wagner says and what he says and what he does are often at conflict! Sorry, let's start again...
As I was saying, the premise of Tristan und Isolde is that ultimate love is only found in death, hence, the name of this..song..is called The Liebestod or The Love-Death. It is one of the most demanding pieces to sing for the dramatic soprano. In opera circles, the Liebestod is more often called by the first two words that are sung "Mild und Liese". Performing the Liebestod is akin to a well-seasoned actor who "earns the right" to play King Lear!
Playing the part of Isolde is usually a major milestone for a dramatic soprano, mezzo-soprano, or yes, even contralto. That's right! Wagner was not so concerned about what key the piece was supposed to be sung in. This is not about Italian artifice...this is music drama. It is the power and dramatic quality of the voice that is the most important, contralto, soprano or whatever! Today we are going to listen to some beautiful and interesting performances of the Liebestod. Caveat emptor: one of the recordings is going to be heretical to hardcore Wagner fanatics...I may end up at the stake like our poor Azucena!
One more note. Music critics have hailed the Liebestod as the "peak" or "climax" of Western music. It's not only because the music is an orgasm for the ear (yes, it is, believe me), It is because Wagner pushes Western harmony to the breaking point (the peak, the climax) where nothing can exist thereafter except dissonance.
In other words, the chords go up in fifths (i.e. C major, G major, D major, A major, etc...) like waves washing over the shore until they can hold no more and give you the signal that they are about to release a big power. But no, the waves draw back several times, pounce on you harder, then draw back until they disappear behind the horizon, then hit you with the full force of a mammoth tidal wave of ecstasy that is impossible to describe in words, you're just going to have to experience it yourself. Read the lyrics before you listen to the song.
Here are the lyrics:
Mild und leise, A.K.A. The Liebestod
Isolde's aria from Tristan und Isolde
In German, paired with an English translation Mild und leise Mildly and gently, wie er lächelt, how he smiles, wie das Auge how the eye hold er öffnet --- he opens sweetly --- Seht ihr's, Freunde? Do you see it, friends? Seht ihr's nicht? Don’t you see it? Immer lichter Brighter and brighter wie er leuchtet, how he shines, stern-umstrahlet illuminated by stars hoch sich hebt? rises high? Seht ihr's nicht? Don’t you see it? Wie das Herz ihm How his heart mutig schwillt, boldly swells, voll und hehr fully and nobly im Busen ihm quillt? wells in his breast? Wie den Lippen, How from his lips wonnig mild, delightfully, mildly, süßer Atem sweet breath sanft entweht --- softly wafts --- Freunde! Seht! Friends! Look! Fühlt und seht Don't you feel
ihr's nicht? and see it? Hör ich nur Do I alone
diese Weise, hear this melody, die so wundervoll which wonderfully
und leise, and softly, Wonne klagend, lamenting delight, alles sagend, telling it all, mild versöhnend mildly reconciling aus ihm tönend, sounds out of him, in mich dringet, invades me, auf sich schwinget, swings upwards, hold erhallend sweetly resonating um mich klinget? rings around me? Heller schallend, Sounding more clearly, mich umwallend --- wafting around me --- Sind es Wellen Are these waves sanfter Lüfte? of soft airs? Sind es Wogen Are these billows wonniger Düfte? of delightful fragrances? Wie sie schwellen, How they swell, mich umrauschen, how they sough around me, soll ich atmen, shall I breathe, soll ich lauschen? Shall I listen? Soll ich schlürfen, Shall I drink, untertauchen? immerse? Süß in Düften Sweetly in fragrances mich verhauchen? melt away? In dem wogenden Schwall, In the billowing torrent, in dem tönenden Schall, in the resonating sound, in des Welt-Atems in the wafting universe
wehendem All --- of the World-Breath
ertrinken, drown, versinken --- be engulfed --- unbewußt --- unconscious --- höchste Lust! supreme delight!
///O///NEXT///O///
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