 |
 Yearning |
The motif of Yearning, like that of Suffering (#4) is so simple that it easily might be overlooked (as it was by Wolzogen) in the quest for leading motives. Together with the Suffering and Question (#31) motives, it is one of the basic motives of the work. Like Suffering too, it is a fragment of chromatic scale, but this time rising. The characteristic rhythm is long-short- long-short.
This motif is almost identical to one of first musical ideas to appear in Tristan und
Isolde, where it is usually called Desire motif (Sehnsuchtsmotiv
). In Parsifal, the motif is associated with the Yearning for release in death, common to both Kundry and Amfortas. In the case
of Kundry, she is unable to find rest because of her curse, which has somehow caused her to
become dominated by the sorcerer Klingsor. So it is hardly surprising that her principal theme,
the motif of Kundry's Laughter (#8) ends with the first three notes
of the Yearning motif; nor that her other theme, the motif of Klingsor's Magic (#10) begins with the four note version.