The Complete Opera Book Part 15

The following is the =Freia Motive=:

[Music]

With _Freia's_ exclamations that the giants are pursuing her, the first suggestion of the Giant Motive appears and as these "great, hulking fellows" enter, the heavy, clumsy =Giant Motive= is heard in its entirety:

[Music]

For the giants, _Fasolt_, and _Fafner_, have come to demand that _Wotan_ deliver up to them _Freia_, according to his promise when they agreed to build Walhalla for him. In the ensuing scene, in which _Wotan_ parleys with the _Giants_, the Giant Motive, the Walhalla Motive, the Motive of the Compact, and the first bar of the Freia Motive figure until _Fasolt's_ threatening words,

"Peace wane when you break your compact,"

when there is heard a version of the Motive of Compact characteristic enough to be distinguished as the =Motive of Compact with the Giants=:

[Music]

The Walhalla, Giant, and Freia motives again are heard until _Fafner_ speaks of the golden apples which grow in _Freia's_ garden. These golden apples are the fruit of which the G.o.ds partake in order to enjoy eternal youth. The Motive of Eternal Youth, which now appears, is one of the loveliest in the cycle. It seems as though age could not wither it, nor custom stale its infinite variety. Its first bar is reminiscent of the Ring Motive, for there is subtle relations.h.i.+p between the Golden Apples of Freia and the Rhinegold. Here is the =Motive of Eternal Youth=:

[Music]

It is finely combined with the Giant Motive at _Fafner's_ words:

"Let her forthwith be torn from them all."

_Froh_ and _Donner_, _Freia's_ brothers, enter hastily to save their sister. _Froh_ clasps her in his arms, while _Donner_ confronts the giants, the Motive of Eternal Youth rings out triumphantly on the horns and wood-wind. But _Freia's_ hope is short-lived. For though _Wotan_ desires to keep _Freia_ in Walhalla, he dare not offend the giants. At this critical moment, however, he sees his cunning adviser, _Loge_, approaching. These are _Loge's_ characteristic motives:

[Music]

_Wotan_ upbraids _Loge_ for not having discovered something which the giants would be willing to accept as a subst.i.tute for _Freia_. _Loge_ says he has travelled the world over without finding aught that would compensate man for the renunciation of a lovely woman. This leads to _Loge's_ narrative of his wanderings. With great cunning he tells _Wotan_ of the theft of the Rhinegold and of the wondrous worth of a ring shaped from the gold. Thus he incites the listening giants to ask for it as a compensation for giving up _Freia_. Hence Wagner, as _Loge_ begins his narrative, has blended, with a marvellous sense of musical beauty and dramatic fitness, two phrases: the Freia Motive and the accompaniment to the _Rhinedaughters'_ Shout of Triumph in the first scene. This music continues until _Loge_ says that he discovered but one person (_Alberich_) who was willing to renounce love. Then the Rhinegold Motive is sounded tristly in a minor key and immediately afterward is heard the Motive of Renunciation.

_Loge_ next tells how _Alberich_ stole the gold. He has already excited the curiosity of the giants, and when _Fafner_ asks him what power _Alberich_ will gain through the possession of the gold, he dwells upon the magical attributes of the ring shaped from Rhinegold.

_Loge's_ diplomacy is beginning to bear results. _Fafner_ tells _Fasolt_ that he deems the possession of the gold more important than _Freia_. Notice here how the Freia motive, so prominent when the giants insisted on her as their compensation, is relegated to the ba.s.s and how the Rhinegold Motive breaks in upon the Motive of Eternal Youth, as _Fafner_ and _Fasolt_ again advance toward _Wotan_, and bid him wrest the gold from _Alberich_ and give it to them as ransom for _Freia_. _Wotan_ refuses, for he himself now l.u.s.ts for the ring made of Rhinegold. The giants having proclaimed that they will give _Wotan_ until evening to determine upon his course, seize _Freia_ and drag her away. Pallor now settles upon the faces of the G.o.ds; they seem to have grown older. They are affected by the absence of _Freia_, the G.o.ddess of Youth, whose motives are but palely reflected by the orchestra. At last _Wotan_ proclaims that he will go with _Loge_ to Nibelung and wrest the entire treasure of Rhinegold from _Alberich_ as ransom for _Freia_.

_Loge_ disappears down a crevice in the side of the rock. From it a sulphurous vapour at once issues. When _Wotan_ has followed _Loge_ into the cleft the vapour fills the stage and conceals the remaining characters. The vapours thicken to a black cloud, continually rising upward until rocky chasms are seen. These have an upward motion, so that the stage appears to be sinking deeper and deeper. With a _molto vivace_ the orchestra dashes into the Motive of Flight. From various distant points ruddy gleams of light illumine the chasms, and when the Flight Motive has died away, only the increasing clangour of the smithies is heard from all directions. This is the typical =Nibelung Motive=, characteristic of Alberich's Nibelungs toiling at the anvil for him. Gradually the sounds grow fainter.

[Music]

Then as the Ring Motive resounds like a shout of malicious triumph (expressive of _Alberich's_ malignant joy at his possession of power), there is seen a subterranean cavern, apparently of illimitable depth, from which narrow shafts lead in all directions.

Scene III. _Alberich_ enters from a side cleft dragging after him the shrieking _Mime_. The latter lets fall a helmet which _Alberich_ at once seizes. It is the Tarnhelmet, made of Rhinegold, the wearing of which enables the wearer to become invisible or a.s.sume any shape. As _Alberich_ closely examines the helmet the =Motive of the Tarnhelmet= is heard.

[Music]

It is mysterious, uncanny. To test its power _Alberich_ puts it on and changes into a column of vapour. He asks _Mime_ if he is visible, and when _Mime_ answers in the negative _Alberich_ cries out shrilly, "Then feel me instead," at the same time making poor _Mime_ writhe under the blows of a visible scourge. _Alberich_ then departs--still in the form of a vaporous column--to announce to the _Nibelungs_ that they are henceforth his slavish subjects. _Mime_ cowers down with fear and pain.

_Wotan_ and _Loge_ enter from one of the upper shafts. _Mime_ tells them how _Alberich_ has become all-powerful through the ring and the Tarnhelmet made of the Rhinegold. Then _Alberich_, who has taken off the Tarnhelmet and hung it from his girdle, is seen in the distance, driving a crowd of _Nibelungs_ before him from the caves below. They are laden with gold and silver, which he forces them to pile up in one place and so form a h.o.a.rd. He suddenly perceives _Wotan_ and _Loge_.

After abusing _Mime_ for permitting strangers to enter Nibelheim, he commands the _Nibelungs_ to descend again into the cavern in search of new treasure for him. They hesitate. You hear the Ring Motive.

_Alberich_ draws the ring from his finger, stretches it threateningly toward the _Nibelungs_, and commands them to obey their master.

They disperse in headlong flight, with _Mime_, into the cavernous recesses. _Alberich_ looks with mistrust upon _Wotan_ and _Loge_.

_Wotan_ tells him they have heard report of his wealth and power and have come to ascertain if it is true. The Nibelung points to the h.o.a.rd. He boasts that the whole world will come under his sway (Ring Motive), that the G.o.ds who now laugh and love in the enjoyment of youth and beauty will become subject to him (Freia Motive); for he has abjured love (Motive of Renunciation). Hence, even the G.o.ds in Walhalla shall dread him (Walhalla Motive) and he bids them beware of the time when the night-begotten host of the Nibelungs shall rise from Nibelheim into the realm of daylight. (Rhinegold Motive followed by Walhalla Motive, for it is through the power gained by the Rhinegold that _Alberich_ hopes to possess himself of Walhalla.) _Loge_ cunningly flatters _Alberich_, and when the latter tells him of the Tarnhelmet, feigns disbelief of _Alberich's_ statements. _Alberich_, to prove their truth, puts on the helmet and transforms himself into a huge serpent. The Serpent Motive expresses the windings and writhings of the monster. The serpent vanishes and _Alberich_ reappears. When _Loge_ doubts if _Alberich_ can transform himself into something very small, the Nibelung changes into a toad. Now is _Loge's_ chance. He calls _Wotan_ to set his foot on the toad. As _Wotan_ does so, _Loge_ puts his hand to its head and seizes the Tarnhelmet. _Alberich_ is seen writhing under _Wotan's_ foot. _Loge_ binds _Alberich_; both seize him, drag him to the shaft from which they descended and disappear ascending.

The scene changes in the reverse direction to that in which it changed when _Wotan_ and _Loge_ were descending to Nibelheim. The orchestra accompanies the change of scene. The Ring Motive dies away from cras.h.i.+ng fortissimo to piano, to be succeeded by the dark Motive of Renunciation. Then is heard the clangour of the Nibelung smithies. The Giant, Walhalla, Loge, and Servitude Motives follow the last with crus.h.i.+ng force as _Wotan_ and _Loge_ emerge from the cleft, dragging the pinioned _Alberich_ with them. His lease of power was brief. He is again in a condition of servitude.

Scene IV. A pale mist still veils the prospect as at the end of the second scene. _Loge_ and _Wotan_ place _Alberich_ on the ground and _Loge_ dances around the pinioned Nibelung, mockingly snapping his fingers at the prisoner. _Wotan_ joins _Loge_ in his mockery of _Alberich_. The Nibelung asks what he must give for his freedom. "Your h.o.a.rd and your glittering gold," is _Wotan's_ answer. _Alberich_ a.s.sents to the ransom and _Loge_ frees the gnome's right hand.

_Alberich_ raises the ring to his lips and murmurs a secret behest.

The _Nibelungs_ emerge from the cleft and heap up the h.o.a.rd. Then, as _Alberich_ stretches out the ring toward them, they rush in terror toward the cleft, into which they disappear. _Alberich_ now asks for his freedom, but _Loge_ throws the Tarnhelmet on to the heap. _Wotan_ demands that _Alberich_ also give up the ring. At these words dismay and terror are depicted on the Nibelung's face. He had hoped to save the ring, but in vain. _Wotan_ tears it from the gnome's finger. Then _Alberich_, impelled by hate and rage, curses the ring. The =Motive of the Curse=:

[Music]

To it should be added the syncopated measures expressive of the ever-threatening and ever-active =Nibelung's Hate=:

[Music]

Amid heavy thuds of the Motive of Servitude _Alberich_ vanishes in the cleft.

The mist begins to rise. It grows lighter. The Giant Motive and the Motive of Eternal Youth are heard, for the giants are approaching with _Freia_. _Donner_, _Froh_, and _Fricka_ hasten to greet _Wotan_.

_Fasolt_ and _Fafner_ enter with _Freia_. It has grown clear except that the mist still hides the distant castle. _Freia's_ presence seems to have restored youth to the G.o.ds. _Fasolt_ asks for the ransom for _Freia_. _Wotan_ points to the h.o.a.rd. With staves the giants measure off a s.p.a.ce of the height and width of _Freia_. That s.p.a.ce must be filled out with treasure.

_Loge_ and _Froh_ pile up the h.o.a.rd, but the giants are not satisfied even when the Tarnhelmet has been added. They wish also the ring to fill out a crevice. _Wotan_ turns in anger away from them. A bluish light glimmers in the rocky cleft to the right, and through it _Erda_ rises. She warns _Wotan_ against retaining possession of the ring. The Erda Motive bears a strong resemblance to the Rhine Motive.

The syncopated notes of the Nibelung's Malevolence, so threateningly indicative of the harm which _Alberich_ is plotting, are also heard in _Erda's_ warning.

_Wotan_, heeding her words, throws the ring upon the h.o.a.rd. The giants release _Freia_, who rushes joyfully towards the G.o.ds. Here the Freia Motive combined with the Flight Motive, now no longer agitated but joyful, rings out gleefully. Soon, however, these motives are interrupted by the Giant and Nibelung motives, and later the Nibelung's Hate and Ring Motive. For _Alberich's_ curse already is beginning its dread work. The giants dispute over the spoils, their dispute waxes to strife, and at last _Fafner_ slays _Fasolt_ and s.n.a.t.c.hes the ring from the dying giant, while, as the G.o.ds gaze horror-stricken upon the scene, the Curse Motive resounds with crus.h.i.+ng force.

_Loge_ congratulates _Wotan_ on having given up the curse-laden ring.

But even _Fricka's_ caresses, as she asks _Wotan_ to lead her into Walhalla, cannot divert the G.o.d's mind from dark thoughts, and the Curse Motive accompanies his gloomy reflections--for the ring has pa.s.sed through his hands. It was he who wrested it from _Alberich_--and its curse rests on all who have touched it.

_Donner_ ascends to the top of a lofty rock. He gathers the mists around him until he is enveloped by a black cloud. He swings his hammer. There is a flash of lightning, a crash of thunder, and lo! the cloud vanishes. A rainbow bridge spans the valley to Walhalla, which is illumined by the setting sun.

_Wotan_ eloquently greets Walhalla, and then, taking _Fricka_ by the hand, leads the procession of the G.o.ds into the castle.

The music of this scene is of wondrous eloquence and beauty. Six harps are added to the ordinary orchestral instruments, and as the variegated bridge is seen their arpeggios s.h.i.+mmer like the colours of the rainbow around the broad, majestic =Rainbow Motive=:

[Music]

Then the stately Walhalla Motive resounds as the G.o.ds gaze, lost in admiration, at the Walhalla. It gives way to the Ring Motive as _Wotan_ speaks of the day's ills; and then as he is inspired by the idea of begetting a race of demiG.o.ds to conquer the Nibelungs, there is heard for the first time the =Sword Motive=:

[Music]

The cries of the _Rhinedaughters_ greet _Wotan_. They beg him to restore the ring to them. But _Wotan_ must remain deaf to their entreaties. He gave the ring, which he should have restored to the _Rhinedaughters_, to the giants, as ransom for _Freia_.

The Walhalla Motive swells to a majestic climax and the G.o.ds enter the castle. Amid s.h.i.+mmering arpeggios the Rainbow Motive resounds. The G.o.ds have attained the height of their glory--but the Nibelung's curse is still potent, and it will bring woe upon all who have possessed or will possess the ring until it is restored to the _Rhinedaughters_.

_Fasolt_ was only the first victim of _Alberich's_ curse.

DIE WALKuRE