In his analysis of Tristan und Isolde, Roger North
has drawn attention to the similarity between a motif in
Parsifal and one of the basic motives in
Tristan und Isolde in its inverted form. The last four
notes of the example above appear to be associated, in
Parsifal, with Remorse. The
example is taken from the scene between Gurnemanz and Parsifal in
act I, where the old knight induces feelings of shame in the
youth, who breaks his home-made bow. The same motif appears in
the vocal line during the first Grail scene, in Amfortas'
Ach, Erbarmen!
.
Interestingly, the identical motif in Tristan und Isolde represents Tristan's Dishonour, as the inversion of the basic motif representing his Honour.
Remorse (Wolfgang Windgassen; ogg format)