Tristan und Isolde

Isolde, promised to King Marke in marriage, and her handmaid, Brangäne, are quartered aboard Marke's nephew Tristan's ship, being transported to Marke's lands in Cornwall. A young sailor sings of a "wild Irish maid" ("Westwärts schweift der Blick"), which Isolde construes as a mocking reference to herself. In a furious outburst, she wishes the seas to rise up and sink the ship, killing herself and all on board ("Erwache mir wieder, kühne Gewalt"). Her scorn and rage are directed particularly at Tristan, the knight responsible for taking her to Marke, and Isolde sends Brangäne to command Tristan to appear before her ("Befehlen liess' dem Eigenholde"). Tristan refuses the request, claiming that his place is at the helm. His henchman, Kurwenal, answers more brusquely, saying that Isolde is in no position to command Tristan and reminding Brangäne that Isolde's fiancé, Morold, was killed by Tristan ("Herr Morold zog zu Meere her"). Brangäne returns to Isolde to relate these events, and Isolde, in what is termed the "narrative and curse", sadly tells her of how, after Morold died, she happened upon a stranger who called himself Tantris. Tantris was found mortally wounded in a barge ("von einem Kahn, der klein und arm") and Isolde used her healing powers to restore him to health. But she discovered during Tantris's recovery that he was actually Tristan, Morold's murderer. Isolde attempted to kill Tristan with his own sword as he lay helpless before her, but he looked not at the swor…

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