Ex. 3-5: Der engel

The first of the Wesendonck Lieder (WWV 91), composed in 1857 while Wagner was at work on Tristan und Isolde. Two songs in the cycle (No. 3 "Im Treibhaus" and No. 5 "Träume") bear the subtitle "Study for Tristan und Isolde" and contain motifs that would appear in the opera.

The poems are by Mathilde Wesendonck (1828–1902), wife of the wealthy businessman Otto Wesendonck, who was one of Wagner's most generous patrons. During the period these songs were composed, Wagner and Mathilde were involved in a love affair — a personal circumstance that likely influenced the creation of these works.

The poem recalls childhood stories of angels who descend from heaven when a heart suffers in hidden sorrow, bleeds silently, or prays fervently for salvation. "Yes, an angel descended to me too, and upon shining wings carries my spirit heavenward, far from every pain."