Re: Tristan chord (in general)

Some thoughts on the Tristan chord (which are my own musings not based on extensive research, and not meant as argument with anyone, and not meant to insult anyone's intelligence by stating the obvious)-

The Tristan chord is a "dissonant" (in the tonal harmony sense) chord resolving onto another "dissonant" chord, a dominant seventh (which is itself left unresolved). If we count the passing tones as harmonies, we have another couple unresolved harmonies along the way for good measure (both French chords). Ditto the next phrase, the next, and the next. The V7 in bar 4 and the V7(13?)-VI 4-5 bars after letter B is the closest we get to the apparent key of a minor. What we have is basically the opening of the Beethoven 1st multiplied by 1,000 or so. It *was* (and is) revolutionary, and I would say basically because *of the tonal functions* involved more than any implications about tuning. I also don't read much into it terms of anticipation of subharmonic/utonal concepts, although it did strike me years ago that the resolution of the "Tristan chord" at the end (12th through 9th bars from the end) - ii half-dim 7 (or iv#6) to I - could be read as a B utonal seventh to a B otonal triad.
Not to argue with Gene Ward Smith (to whom I apologise for sniping before), but I think it *does* make tonal guacamole. My undergrad harmony teacher said he thought "Tristan" is atonal, which is stretching it a bit; but a listener could reasonably have the impression the only conventionally tonal parts are pictorial ones like the sailor's chorus, and he wouldn't be too far off. There's the sailor's song and the English horn solo (both fairly tonally ambiguous), the endless unresolved ninth chord in the offstage horns, the ff major seventh at the beginning of Act II (followed by a chromatic series of seventh chords, all of course unresolved), etc. etc. All pretty radical stuff, and fully deserving of the attention paid to it over the years. Conversely, I think Wagner also gets undervalued a little - taken for granted as "Wagnerian chromaticism" with more attention paid to Satie & Debussy, or whatever.

Enough rambling - once again, just my own impressions, no arguments intended.

Chris

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