Tristan and Isolde

Love, lust, honour, betrayal: this study will explore the doomed lovers Tristan and Isolde (Yseult). We will read selections from the original Celtic legend as told by by Anglo-Norman poet Thomas of Britain (1170) and the medieval German version by Gottfried von Strassburg (1215). We will also listen to Wagner’s musical interpretation in the opera Tristan und Isolde and discuss the impact of a different artistic medium on our response to the story.

This is London Literary Salon’s first experiment with adding a musical element to the discussion of literature and will be purely experiential, no knowledge of music theory is required. If you have enjoyed our discussions of literature and visual art, we invite you to drink the love potion with Tristan and Isolde and surrender yourself to the power of poetry and music combined as we consider why Tristan is considered one of the greatest operas of the 19th century. 

JOINING DETAILS:

• Four week study led by Sean Forester on Zoom
• Thursdays, 7, 14, 21 & 28 August 2025,  5.30-7.30 pm (UK)
• Text: Tristan: With the Surviving Fragments of the ‘Tristran of Thomas’ (Penguin Classics) by Gottfried von Strassburg, Translated by A.T. Hatto, ISBN-13: ‎978-0140440980
• Music: Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner
• Use this link to share details of the study.
• £120 for four meetings, to include opening notes and background resources.