Constructing Chivalry: the Symbolism of King Mark in Wagner's Tristan
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Constructing Chivalry: The Symbolism of King Mark in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde by Julie Anne Heikel Bachelor of Music, McGill University, 2007 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTERS OF ARTS in the School of Music Julie Anne Heikel, 2010 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Constructing Chivalry: The Symbolism of King Mark in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde by Julie Anne Heikel Bachelor of Music, McGill University, 2007 Supervisory Committee Dr. Susan Lewis Hammond, School of Music Supervisor Kurt Kellan, School of Music Co-Supervisor Dr. Michelle Fillion, School of Music Departmental Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Susan Lewis Hammond Supervisor Kurt Kellan Co-Supervisor Dr. Michelle Fillion Departmental Member Despite Tristan’s place as a cornerstone of the operatic repertory, there has been surprisingly little scholarship on King Mark, whom scholars often overlook in favour of the title characters. This study examines Wagner’s adaptation of his source, the Tristan of Gottfried von Strassburg, to construct a character that represents the courtly chivalric society of the opera in opposition to the new order represented in Tristan’s passionate pursuit of love and, ultimately, of death. Building on literary scholarship of the Tristan tradition, this study explores issues of duality and decline in Mark’s character and the elements of his chivalric friendship with Tristan within the homosocial constructs of the courts. Through his use of traditional operatic lament form, associative orchestration, and text expression, Wagner constructs a king who is more nuanced that any of his predecessors: one cleansed by tragedy and capable of forgiveness. iv Table of Contents Supervisory Committee ...................................................................................................... ii Abstract..............................................................................................................................iii Table of Contents............................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... v List of Figures.................................................................................................................... vi List of Musical Examples ................................................................................................. vii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................viii Dedication.......................................................................................................................... ix Preface................................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter One: Gottfried’s Tristan ........................................................................................ 8 History of the Tristan Legend......................................................................................... 8 The Eternal Triangle: The Characters and the Relationships Within ........................... 14 Issue of the Potion and the Dual Nature of King Mark ................................................ 22 Duality of Mark’s Character ......................................................................................... 24 Chapter Two: Wagner’s Literary Tristan ......................................................................... 31 Genesis of Wagner’s Libretto ....................................................................................... 31 Comparison of Wagner’s Narrative to Gottfried’s ....................................................... 33 Wagner’s Eternal Triangle: The Characters and the Relationships Within.................. 40 Wagner’s Treatment of the Potion and King Mark’s Character................................... 42 Chapter Three: Il Lamento: the Lament Tradition in Greek Tragedy and Early Opera .. 46 Wagner’s Theories: Society & the Volk, Greek Drama, & Gesamtkunstwerk ............. 48 Mark’s Lament as the Literary Lament in Greek Tragedy ........................................... 52 Mark’s Lament as a Wagnerian Narrative.................................................................... 57 Mark’s Lament as an Early Operatic Lament............................................................... 60 Tonality..................................................................................................................... 62 Texture ...................................................................................................................... 64 Motives ..................................................................................................................... 67 Chapter Four: The Bass Clarinet as a Unifying Symbol of Honour and Betrayal............ 73 Chapter Five: Text Expression and Melodic Analysis of Mark’s Music........................ 114 Melodic Analysis of Act Two, Scene Three: Lamenting the treulos treuster Freund 118 Analysis of Act Three, Scene Three: Forgiving the treulos treuster Freund ............. 125 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 135 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 138 Primary Sources.......................................................................................................... 138 Scores...................................................................................................................... 139 Audio/Video Recordings ........................................................................................ 139 Additional Libretto Source to musical scores......................................................... 139 Secondary Sources...................................................................................................... 140 Appendix One: Summary of the Tristan Prototype ........................................................ 144 Appendix Two: Summary of Wagner’s Tristan Drama ................................................. 147 v List of Tables Table 1: Formal Analysis of Mark’s Act Two, Scene Three Lament............................... 61 Table 2: Ascending Leaps ≥ P5 ...................................................................................... 119 Table 3: Descending Perfect Intervals (P5, P8).............................................................. 120 Table 4: Descending Minor 6th ....................................................................................... 121 Table 5: Descending Minor 7th ....................................................................................... 122 Table 6: Descending Diminished 7th............................................................................... 123 Table 7: Mark’s Act Two utterances “Tristan” ............................................................. 124 Table 8: Consecutive, opposite leaps (ascending then descending as in Theme #2)...... 124 Table 9: Mark: Ascending Diminished 5ths..................................................................... 127 Table 10: Supporting Characters: Descending Perfect Intervals (P4, P5, P8)................ 128 Table 11: Mark’s Descending Perfect Intervals (P5, P8) ............................................... 129 Table 12: Supporting Characters: Descending Major and Minor 6ths............................. 129 Table 13: Mark’s Descending Major 6ths ........................................................................ 129 Table 14: Supporting Characters: Descending Minor 7ths .............................................. 130 Table 15: Supporting Characters: Descending Diminished 5ths...................................... 131 Table 16: Supporting Characters: Descending Diminished 7ths...................................... 131 Table 17: Mark’s Descending Diminished 5ths and 7ths................................................... 132 Table 18: Mark’s Descending Minor 7ths........................................................................ 132 Table 19: Mark: Reoccurrence of Theme Three (from Act Two, Scene Three) ............ 133 Table 20: Mark: Ascending/Descending Cell (related to Theme #2 from Act Two, Scene Three).............................................................................................................................. 133 vi List of Figures Figure 1: Sources of the Tristan legend ............................................................................ 10 Figure 2: Epic Love Triangle Prototype ........................................................................... 15 Figure 3: The 'Tristan' Eternal Triangle ........................................................................... 17 Figure 4: Plot Summary Comparison: Gottfried vs. Wagner ........................................... 36 vii List of Musical Examples Example 1: Descending Tetrachord skeleton based on mm. 59-62 of Tristan 2:III......... 64 Example 2: Bass Clarinet Head Motive mm. 201-207 of 2:III......................................... 66 Example 3: The Matrix ....................................................................................................