Abstract
The relationship between light and space is fundamental In an opera stage design. In contemporary stage design, light, color and space themselves became one of tile most important elements to express and symbolize the content of the opera. This was very different compared to the primitive and medieval opera stage design in the past. The designer tried to represent the same periodical background of the opera with exact replica of the buildings as well as costumes. In comtemporary performance art, light became one the most important aspects in design. Max Keller is one of the living pioneers in stage lighting design. This thesis that is based on his lighting experiments and projects attempts to examine how contemporary stage design and light are applied and what kind of characteristics they have. One of the Wagner's opera, "Tristan und Isolde" was selected to be further analyzed. Three different "Tristan und Isolde" opera stage designs were carefully studied in terms of how three designs are differently constructed for specific same contents of the opera. This sort of comparison study is crucial when there is a strict parameter that is the opera itself. It was found that three opera stages have very different stage designs and unique ways of expressing the opera flow and contents. However, in some parts, very similar lightings were used. This sort of multi-disciplinary study can be helpful to re-think the interior environment by applying light as a fundamental medium.