The Song & the Séance: The Culture and Story Behind Reverse: 1999’s Newest Character ‘Isolde’
Reverse: 1999’s new update, Version 1.7 “E Lucevan Le Stelle”, brings with it the addition of an exciting new 6-star character called Isolde. Serving as an elegant yet disturbed opera singer, the developers behind Reverse: 1999 specifically set out to pay homage to both her talents as a singer and the setting she finds herself in, early 20th century Vienna.
As such, we’ve laid out a full summary of the inspirations behind Isolde, touching on both the culture and the story that makes up her amazing character and the history behind her.
Who is Isolde?
Summonable in the new banner called “Vissi D'arte, Vissi D'amore”, Isolde is an elegant yet sick opera singer and is the youngest daughter of the noble Dittarsdorf family of Vienna. Isolde's bloodline has gifted her with a beautiful singing voice but, painfully, also an incurable hysteria.
This affliction causes no physical imperfections, but rather operates as a disease of the mind, with Isolde’s survival tactic being to channel spirits to sing through her body in the form of séance. It’s the combination of singing and spirits that makes Isolde such a unique prospect in the world of Reverse: 1999. This image below depicts Isolde performing the opera “ Salome”using her arcane skill.
Not Your Typical Love Story
Isolde’s name actually comes from the opera “Tristan und Isolde” by Richard Wagner, which made its debut in the Bavarian capital of Munich almost 160 years ago. The opera tells the tale of the young prince Tristan who, after defeating the Irish knight Morholt, travels to Ireland to bring back the fair Isolde, Isolt for his uncle King Mark of Cornwall to marry. Along the way, however, Tristan and Iseult accidentally ingest a love potion, which causes them to fall madly in love.
Historians claim Wagner’s epic was a landmark in the development of Western music, with the opera utilising an impressive range of orchestral colour, harmony, and polyphony, with critics saying it illustrated an unmistakable growth missing from his earlier operas. A suitable inspiration, therefore, for Isolde’s moniker given her own art for the operatic.
Building on the operatic theme, "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore," the name of the banner of Isolde, and "E Lucevan Le Stelle," the name of this main chapter, are both Italian composer Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca famous aria.
One of Isolde’s skill lines in the banner the banner “Vissi D'arte, Vissi D'amore” (which translates as “I lived on art, I lived on love”) comes from Giacomo Puccini’s famous opera Tosca: “Ti soffoca il sangue? Ti soffoca il sangue?!”, (“Does it choke your blood?“ in English), which is sung beautifully when you cast her Ultimate Skill in game. In the story of “E Lucevan Le Stelle,” Isolde plays Tosca. In contrast, Scarpia plays Carl, who takes advantage of Tosca's eagerness to help her lover out of trouble and forces her to submit, but is killed by Tosca later.
The Devil in the Detail
"Desires and Tears" is one of Isolde’s character items. The pure white lace adds layering and sophistication to the body of the hat, while the pearl chain representing "tears" highlights Isolde's femininity and luxury. For European ladies of this era, especially the royal aristocrats, hats were a must-have accessory for them to attend social occasions. They not only represent the observance of etiquette but also are a symbol of identity, status, and power. They also decorate the wide brim with various things, such as feathers, lace, etc.
She also wears evening gloves, which were mainly used for decorative purposes and as a symbol of status. They were a mandatory ceremonial attire for the European upper class at that time and commonly found in Western-style evening gowns, wedding dresses, and concierge attire. They are usually made of silk, gauze, satin, and other delicate and comfortable materials.
The fashion of the time also goes beyond her clothes. One of Isolde’s pieces of jewelry, the Star of Vienna, is a natural sapphire weighing 326.37 carats after cutting, which highlights Isolde’s aristocratic status.
In Isolde’s Trailer, she wears a corset. Since becoming popular in Europe in the 16th century, corsets have been indispensable supportive underwear for women. It makes women's waist slimmer by cinching it, and the strap is one of the most important parts to achieve these functions.
