This Wagner’s masterpiece is some revolutionary piece of art; the dramatic love story with its sublime musical accompaniment was quite a shock at the time it premiered and it keeps on provoking the same feelings in the audience making it far more than just a simple opera.

The opera was composed in 1865 by Wagner, who also wrote the libretto, and it is largely based on a play by Gottfried von Strassburg. It is considered one of the most important operas ever composed and undoubtedly the most prominent piece of work written by the German composer. The musical score is often regarded as a landmark for modern 20th century music. His most remarkable feature is the deployment of Harmonic suspension, an artistic device which, through a series of prolonged and unfinished cadences, aims at causing a music tension by creating expectations and desires which are resolved only at the end.

HISTORY
Tristan et Yseult, a captivating opera, is one of the most beautiful operas ever performed.
It achieved great recognition during the era of French medieval poetry and was inspired by archetypal Celtic legends.
It deals with an adulterous love between a knight (Tristan) and a princess (yseult). The play is approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes of captivating dramatic scenes.

Act 1
The beginning is filled with impeccable sweet notes of music and dance routines. Upon defeating Morholt the Irish knight, Tristan is shown making his way to Ireland to retrieve a fair maiden (Yseult) for his uncle King Mark to marry. On their way, they drink a love potion which makes them fall into a deep love affair. Despite getting married to King
Mark, Yseult and Tristan become lovers due to the effects of the love potion. They find themselves in a love triangle which they cannot control.

Act 2
Tristan, King Mark, and Yseult all hold love for each other. Tristan has love, honor, and respect for his uncle who adopted and mentored him;
Yseult is grateful for the kindness that Mark has shown her: and Mark is in love with Yseult and loves Tristan as his son. Every night they each have terrible nightmares about their future. Upon discovering their secret love affair, King Mark punishes them by sentencing them to death

Act 3
Miraculously, Tristan escapes and rescues Yseult and the two hide out in the forest of Morrois where they are later discovered by Mark. They both make peace when Tristan agrees to return Yseult and leave the country. Tristan then travels to Brittany and marries a girl named Yseult of the White hands. Later on Mark inflicts a wound on Tristan with a poisoned lance while the latter is playing a harp for Yseult.
Tristan falls ill and his friend, Kahedin, sets off to find his lover, Yseult who is the only person who can heal him.

Epilogue
Unfortunately, Tristan dies of grief before the arrival of Yseult, his lover, and on discovering that Tristan is dead, Yseult too dies of heartache.

MAIN ROLES
Tristan, Yseults lover, tenor
Yseult, Tristan's' lover, soprano
King Mark, Yseults husband and King of Cornwall, bass
Morholt, The Irish knight, tenor Kahedin, Tristan's' friend, baritone
Yseult of the White Hands, Tristan's' wife, soprano