Example 8. Motifs and passages which accompany Tristan and Isolde’s initial “glance“ (after drinking the “love potion” near the end of Act I) and their subsequent illicit “night of love” (in Act II). These motifs form the basis for “musical memories” that the lovers will subsequently recall later in the music drama. Except for a handful of tonally associative themes (see below), most recurrences are freely transposed.

POTION / GLANCE | DEATH / BLISS | TRÄUME / DAY | SUN CONCEALED / HOLY NIGHT | REPOSE / DEATH SONG

a.

The POTION/GLANCE complex, originally anticipated in the Prelude to Act I, as shown in reduction below; measures refer to the Schirmer vocal scores). NOT restated in its complete form until its expanded version, when the couple drink the love potion near the end of Act I. Strongly associative, in that the entire complex always recurs at original pitch level (in some cases, the GLANCE portion is deleted).