Composer Notes

Richard Wagner: The Tristan Chord, not so strange, not so unique, after all
Appendix: Examples of the half-diminished chord before Tristan und Isolde

BACH Chorales

• No 6 Christus, der ist mein Leben, bar 7, beat 3
• No 8 Freuet euch, ihr Christen, bar 2, beat 1; bar 6, beat 1; bar 10, beat 1; bar 12, beat 1
• No 7 Nun lob', mein Seel', den Herren, bar 25 (in root position)
• No 31 Ach lieben Christen, seid getrost, bar 4, beat 1
• No 57 O Traurigkeit, bar 8, beat 1
• No 99 Helft mir Gott's Gute preisen, bar 3, beat 3; bar 11, beat 3
• No 178 Das neugeborne Kindelein, bar 6, beat 2; bar 9, beat 2
• No 180 Als Jesus Christus in der Nacht, bar 4, beat 1
• No 219 O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen, bar 10, beat 3
• No 228 Danket dem Herren, den er ist sehr Freundlich, bar 6, beat 1
• No 229 Ich danke dir, O Gott, in deinem Throne, bar 3, beat 1
• No 232 Die Sonn' hat sich mit ihrem Glanz, bar 6, beat 1; bar 11, beat 1
• No 240 Nun sich der Tag geendet hat, bar 7, beat 3
• No 277 Herzlich lieb hab' ich dich, o Herr, bar 17, beat 1 (in root position)
• No 281 Wo soll ich fliehen hin, bar 12, beat 1
• No 285 War Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, bar 10, beat 1
• No 302 Hilf, Gott, dass mir's gelinge, bar 7, beat 1; bar 20, beat 1
• No 356 Jesu, meine Freude, bar 2, beat 1; bar 10, beat 1 (in root position)

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonatas

• No 4 Op 7 Second movement, bar 13, third beat and bar 63, third beat
• No 4 Op 7 Third movement, bars 140 - 141
• No 6 Op 10 No 2, Second movement bars, 72, 76 and again at bars 96, 100
• No 8 Op 13 (“Pathetique”) second movement, bar 13, first beat, and similarly at bars 33, 55, 63
• No 14 Op 27 No 2 (“Moonlight”). First movement bar 13, beats 3 and 4 and bar 58
• No 14 Op 27 No 2 (“Moonlight”). Third movement bar 100
• No 18 Op 31 No 3, first movement, bars 33 - 42
• No 18 Op 31 No 3, first movement, bar 103, second beat and bar 107 second beat
• No 26 Op 81a, first movement, bars 127 - 129
• No 27 Op 90, second movement, bar 22, second beat, bar 91, second beat, bar 161, second beat

CHOPIN Preludes

• No 2 Op 28 in E minor, bars 9 - 10
• No 4 Op 28 in E minor third and fourth beats of bar 3, first beat of bar 6
• No 8 Op 28 in F sharp minor, first beat of bar 3, first beat of bar 7

CHOPIN Etudes

• Op 10 No 1 in C major, bar 12, bar 30, bar 52, bar 75 with G pedal
• Op 10 No 6 in e flat minor, bar 2, bar 10, bar36
• Op 10 No 12 in C minor bar 40, bar 66, bar 68
• Op 25 No 7 in C sharp minor, bar 13, bars 16 - 77
• Op 25 No 11 in A minor, bar 93 (third last bar)

WAGNER before Tristan und Isolde

WAGNER Das Rheingold

• Scene 1 where Alberich sings “O Schmerz, O Schmerz”, the chord is C flat F A flat E flat followed in the next bar by B double flat E flat G flat D flat [Dover Full Score page 38]
• Scene 1 where the three Rhine Maidens sing “Rheingold”. The chord is B D F A with a C pedal [Dover Full Score pages 49 and 53]
• Scene 1 where the three Rhine Maidens sing “wonige Spiele spenden wir dir”, the chord on the second beat on the word “Spiele” is F sharp A C E with a G pedal [Dover Full Score page 51]
• Scene 1 where Woglinde sings “zum Reif zu zwingen das Gold”, on the word “Reif” the chord is F sharp A C E [Dover Full Score page 63]
• Scene 1 immediately after Alberich sings “doch listig erzwang’ ich mir Lust?”, the orchestra plays the “renunciation” motive landing on an F minor chord to which a D is added, the full chord being D F A flat C [Dover Full Score page 73]
• Scene 1, when Alberich sings “schmeide den rachenden Ring”, on the word “Ring” the chord is F sharp, A, C E [Dover Full Score page 75]
• Scene 1, when Alberich sings “so verfluch’ ich die Liebe”, on the word “Liebe” the chord is D F A flat C [Dover Full Score page 76]
• Near the end of the orchestral transition from Scene 1 to Scene 2, the chord is A, C, E, F sharp [Dover Full Score page 82]
• At the end of the orchestral transition from Scene 1 to Scene 2, the chord is a dominant ninth chord on E flat. Above an E flat bass, the upper notes are G, B flat, D flat, F [Dover Full Score page 83]
• Scene 2 when Fricka sings “giert ihr Manner nach Macht”, on the word “Macht” the chord is F sharp A C E over a G pedal [Dover Full Score page 92]
• Scene 2 when Fricka sings “Dort schreiten rasch die Riesen heran”, the chord is A,C,E,F sharp for three bars [Dover Full Score page 98]
• Scene 2 immediately after Froh sing “Fasolt und Fafner”, the chord is E,G,B flat,D [Dover Full Score page 110]
• Scene 2 when Loge sings “Ersatz for Freia zu suchen, wie er den Riesen wohl recht” on the syllable “satz” and the word “wie” the chord is BDFA [Dover Full Score page 120]
• Scene 2 when Loge sings “Weibes Wonne und Werth”, (for the first time) on the word “Wonne” the chord is G E Bflat D [Dover Full Score page 121]
• Scene 2 when Loge sings “an dich Wotan wenden sies ich”, on the words “dich” and “wenden sies” the chord is G sharp B D F sharp [Dover Full Score page 126]
• Scene 2 immediately after Loge sings “und ewiges bliebe ihr eigen” when the orchestra plays the “Rheingold” motive the chord is B F D A over a C pedal [Dover Full Score page 126-127]
• Scene 2 after Froh sings “Mir stockt das Herz and before Loge sings “Jetzt fand ich's!”, the chord is A C E Fsharp [Dover Full Score page 146-147]
• Scene 2 after Wotan sings “Nach Nibelheim fahren wire nieder”, the chord is F A flat C D [Dover Full Score page 150]
• Scene 2 when Wotan sings “verlorner Jugend erjag' ich erlosen”, the chord A D sharp F sharp C sharp followed by A C E F sharp [Dover Full Score page 151]
• During the orchestral transition between Scene 2 and Scene 3, the chord: F D A flat C [Dover Full Score page 154]
• At the end of the orchestral transition between Scene 2 and Scene 3, the chord is D G B flat E [Dover Full Score page 171]
• Scene 3 when Mime sings “fur mich drum huten wolt’ ich den Helm”, on the word “Helm” the chord is: G C E flat A [Dover Full Score page 176]
• Scene 3 when Mime sings “wer seid denni ihr Fremde?”, on the word “seid” the chord is C E flat G flat B flat followed on the word “Fremde” by the chord is: A flat C flat F E flat [Dover Full Score page 179]
• Scene 3 after Mime sings “von ihrer Noth befrein wir der Niblungen Volk!”, the orchestral chord is: F G B flat D flat [Dover Full Score page 180]
• Scene 3 when Wotan sings “Zu was doch frommt dire der Hort”, on the word “frommt” the chord is: A F sharp C sharp D sharp [Dover Full Score page 190]
• Scene 3 when Wotan sings “da freudlos Nibelheim, und nichts fur Schatze hier feil?” on the word “nichts” the chord is: A F sharp C sharp D sharp [Dover Full Score page 190]
• Scene 3 when Loge sings “dem zagte sitternd dein Volk” on the word sagte the chord is FG B flat D flat [Dover Full Score page 199]
• Scene 4 when Wotan sings “Den Ring verlah’ ich” on the word “Ring” the chord is: A C E F sharp [Dover Full Score page 230]
• Scene 4 when Wotan sings “sind nicht mehr mein Eigen” on the word “Eigen” the chord is: F sharp E A C [Dover Full Score page 230]
• Scene 4 when Wotan sings “Bei des Rheines Tochtern hole dir Rath” under this phrase is the “Rheingold” motive with the chord B D F A over a G pedal and then the same chord over an E pedal [Dover Full Score page 231]
• Scene 4 when Alberich sings “Schmahliche Tucke! Schandlicher Trug” on the word “Schmahliche” the chord is F sharp C A E and on the word “Schandlicher” the chord is A C E flat G [Dover Full Score page 231]
• Scene 4 when Alberich sings “Wie gluckt es nun die Gleissner zum Heil” on the word “nun” the chord is G E B flat D [Dover Full Score page 232]
• Scene 4 when Fafner sings “An Wotan's Finger glanzt don Gold noch ein Ring” on the word “Finger” the chord is: A E F sharp C [Dover Full Score page 258]
• Scene 4 when Erda sings “Doch hochste Gefahr fuhrt mich heut' selbst zu dir her” on the word “heut” the chord is: D sharp F sharp A C sharp [Dover Full Score page 266]
• Scene 4 when Wotan sings “Von Morgen bis Abend” on the word “Abend” the chord is B flat D flat F flat A flat over an E flat pedal [Dover Full Score page 304]

WAGNER Die Walküre

Rather than repeat for Die Walküre the same process as for Das Rheingold, one example will suffice. The excerpt below from Act 2, Scene 4, bar 11 [Dover Full Score page 329] occurs repeatedly during the scene in which Brünnhilde appears before Siegmund to tell him he has been chosen to fall in battle and accompany her to Valhalla.

WAGNER Wesendonck Lieder

• Der Engel, bars 16, 19
• Stehe Still! bars 13, 28, 64-65
• Traume, bars 5, 8, 19