Notably from Tristan und Isolde onwards, he explored the limits of the traditional tonal system, which gave keys and chords their identity, pointing the way to atonality in the 20th century.
Especialmente dende Tristan und Isolde, o compositor explorou os límites do sistema tonal tradicional, que daba aos tons e acordes a súa identidade, apuntando o camiño cara á atonalidade no século XX.