In this episode, we break down the mythology, music, and philosophy of Richard Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde ahead of the Metropolitan Opera’s production this month. We trace the myth to its 12th-century Celtic roots and examine its psychological meaning using the work of Joseph Campbell and Robert A. Johnson. We detail how Wagner applied Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy to create the "Tristan chord," a musical innovation built entirely around unfulfilled longing. This is the opera that changed the art form and influenced many other artists beyond the operatic world. The myth itself sparked a revival of the “feminine” in the West, introducing a wholly new concept of romantic love that led to a change in consciousness itself.
Archetypes and the Planets