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defends herself. In trying to protect Siegmund, was she not carrying out her father’s
innermost desire? She begs him to soften her punishment: let him at least surround
the rock with flames so that only a fearless hero will be able to penetrate the wall of
fire. Wotan relents and grants her request. He kisses her on both eyes, which close at
once.
Striking the rock three times, he invokes Loge, the god of fire. Flames spring up
around the rock, and the ‘‘magic fire’’ leitmotif is heard, followed by the ‘‘magic
sleep’’ and ‘‘slumber’’ motives. ‘‘Whosoever fears the tip of my spear shall never pass
through the fire,’’ he sings, as the orchestra announces the theme of Siegfried, the
fearless hero who in the next music drama will force his way through the flames and
awaken Brünnhilde with a kiss. (See Listening Guide 59 for text.) The curtain falls
on a version of the Sleeping Beauty legend as poetic as any artist ever created.
I]Z:c_dnbZcid[Bjh^XEVX`V\Z
I]ZCdgidcGZXdgY^c\h
I]ZDca^cZA^hiZc^c\AVW
oll
)
Listening Guide
HijYnHeVXZ
-
Wagner: Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Act III, opening and Finale
89"GDB
DATE OF WORK:
89"GDB
1856; first performed 1870, Munich
I]Z:c_dnbZcid[Bjh^X
GENRE:
CHARACTERS:
ORCHESTRA:
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:
89"GDB
I]Z:c_dnbZcid[Bjh^X!
H]dgiZg
Music drama: second in cycle of 4 (The Ring of the Nibelung)
I]Z:c_dnbZcid[Bjh^X!
H]dgiZgZWdd`
HijYn<j^YZ
Wotan, father of the gods (bass-baritone) I]ZCdgidcHXdgZh
Valkyries, the 9 daughters of Wotan
Brünnhilde, favorite daughter (soprano), Ortlinde (soprano)
Gerhilde (soprano), Helmwige (soprano)
Schwertleite (alto), Waltraute (alto), Siegrune (alto)
Rossweisse (alto), Grimgerde (alto)
Huge orchestra including:
Strings (32 violins, 12 violas, 12 cellos, 8 double basses, 6 harps)
Woodwinds (2 piccolos, 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 1 English horn,
1 bass clarinet, 3 bassoons)
Brass (8 French horns, 3 trumpets, 1 bass trumpet, 3 tenor trombones,
1 bass trombone, 1 contrabass trombone, 4 Wagner tubas,
1 contrabass tuba)
Percussion (timpani, cymbals, triangle, tenor drum, glockenspiel, gong)
Orchestra sets excited mood and image of flying warriors.
Dotted figure gives way to famous ‘‘Ride’’ theme, heard in minor and
major throughout scene.
Focus on huge brass sound; alternation of high and low instruments.
Chilling battle cries from Valkyries.
Continuous fabric of orchestral music and singing.
Act III, Scene 1: Ride of the Valkyries
Orchestral prelude, marked Lively (Lebhaft), in 9/8 meter.
Rushing string figure alternates with fast wavering in woodwinds, then
insistent dotted figure [in brackets] begins in horns and low strings:
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64
Woodwinds
# 9
˙.
& #8 ‰
f
? # # 98 œ œ œ œ Œ
œœœ ‰
˙.
‰ Œ
‰ Œ
˙.
œ œœœ
Œ
f
j œœœ
œ œ
.
p œ. . . . œ œ.
‰ ? œ. . œ œ
sempre
f
&
Wagner and the Music Drama
˙.
Strings
Swirling string and woodwind lines, accompanied by dotted figure.
Famous ‘‘Ride’’ motive, heard first in minor key in horns:
# 9
& #8 j
œ. œ.
œ. >œ . œ. œ.
f
œ œ œ.
> . œ. .
œ.
œ œ œ. œ.
> . œ. .
œ œ ˙.
> . œ. .
‘‘Ride’’ motive, now heard in major key in trumpets:
# 9
& # 8 j œ. œ œ. œ.
œ. > œ. .
f
œ. œ œ.
œ.
> œ. .
œ œ œ. œ.
> . œ. .
œ œ #˙.
> . œ. .
4-note dotted motive exchanged between low and high brass instruments,
heard above swirling idea.
‘‘Ride’’ motive heard fortissimo, as curtain opens.
(Four Valkyries, in full armor, have settled on the highest peak above a cave.)
TEXT
TRANSLATION
GERHILDE
(calling from the highest peak)
Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Heiaha! Heiaha!
Helmwige! Hier! Hieher mit dem Ross!
Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! Heiaha! Heiaha!
Helmwige, here! Bring your horse here!
Gerhilde’s disjunct battle cry, which is echoed by her sisters:
œ . r
#
& # 98 J # œJ œ œ .
œ
œ ‰ ‰ J # œJ . œr œ .
J
œ ‰ œ œ ˙.
J R R
Ho - jo - to - ho!
Ho - jo - to - ho!
Hei-a - ha!
HELMWIGE
œ
J ‰
(answering in the distance)
Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Heiaha!
Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! Heiaha!
‘‘Ride’’ motive heard in low brass, first in minor, then major; ideas exchanged between brass
instruments.
Climax with timpani and cymbals on following cry, then descrescendo.
G E R H I L D E , WA L T R AU T E , S C H W E RT L E I T E
(calling out to Brünnhilde, who approaches)
Heiaha! Heiaha!
Heiaha! Heiaha!
O RT L I N D E
Zu Ortlinde’s Stute stell’ deinen Hengst,
Mit meiner Grauen gras’t gern dein Brauner!
Put your stallion next to Ortlinde’s mare:
Your bay will like grazing with my grey.
WA L T R AU T E
Wer hängt dir im Sattel?
Who hangs from your saddle?
Listening Guide continues
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CHORAL AND DRAMATIC MUSIC IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
HELMWIGE
Sintolt, der Hegeling!
Sintolt the Hegeling!
S C H W E RT L E I T E
Führ deinen Braunen fort von der Grauen:
Ortlindes Märes trägt Wittig, den Irming!
Take your bay away from my grey.
Ortlinde’s mare carries Wittig the Irming.
GERHILDE
Als Feinde nur sah ich Sintolt und Wittig!
I only saw them as enemies, Sintolt and Wittig.
O RT L I N D E
Heiaha! Die Stute stösst mir der Hengst!
Heiaha! The mare is being shoved by the stallion!
GERHILDE
(laughing)
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Der Recken Zwist entzweit noch die Rosse!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
The warriors’ dispute upsets even the steeds!
HELMWIGE
Ruhig, Brauner! Brich nicht den Frieden.
Be still, my bay! Do not disturb the peace!
WA L T R AU T E
Hoioho! Hoioho! Siegrune, hier!
Wo säumst du so lang?
Hoyoho! Hoyoho! Siegrune, here!
Where were you dallying so long?
‘‘Ride’’ motive heard as Siegrune arrives.
S I E G RU N E
Arbeit gab’s!
Sind die and’ren schon da?
There was work to be done!
Are the others already here?
S C H W E RT L E I T E , WA L T R AU T E
Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Heiaha!
Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! Heiaha!
GERHILDE
Heiaha!
Heiaha!
G R I M G E R D E , RO S S W E I S S E
(appear illuminated by flash of lighting)
Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Heiaha!
Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! Heiha!
WA L T R AU T E
Grimgerd’ und Rossweisse!
Grimgerde and Rossweisse!
GERHILDE
Sie reiten zu zwei.
They are riding abreast.
Ride motive heard fortissimo, at change to major key, in full orchestra with cymbals and triangle.
H E L M W I G E , O RT L I N D E , S I E G RU N E
Gegrüsst, ihr Reisige! Rossweiss’
und Grimgerde!
Greetings, riders! Rossweisse
and Grimgerde!
RO S S W E I S S E , G R I M G E R D
Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Heiaha!
Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! Heiha!
THE OTHER
Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Heiaha! Heiaha!
6
VA L K Y R I E S
Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! Heiaha! Heiaha!
Gradual decrescendo in orchestra.
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Wagner and the Music Drama
GERHILDE
In’Wald mit den Rossen zu Rast und Weid’!
Into the woods with the steeds to rest and graze.
O RT L I N D E
Führet die Mähren fern von einander,
Bis unsrer Helden Hass sich gelegt!
Place the mares far from each other,
Until our heroes’ hatred is abated!
(laughing)
VA L K Y R I E S
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
HELMWIGE
Der Helden Grimm büsste schon die Graue!
The heroes’ anger made even the grey suffer!
(laughing)
VA L K Y R I E S
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
RO S S W E I S S E , G R I M G E R D E
Hojotoho! Hojotoho!
Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho!
THE OTHER
6
VA L K Y R I E S
Wilkommen! Wilkommen!
Welcome! Welcome!
(Shorter recording ends here.)
Act III, closing of Scene 3: Wotan and Brünnhilde
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:
Sense of endless melody and continuous orchestral sound.
Richly chromatic harmony for heightened emotional effect.
Use of 4 recurring themes (leitmotifs)—magic fire, magic sleep,
slumber, Siegfried
(Wotan clasps Brünnhilde’s head in his hands. He kisses her long on the eyes. She sinks back
with closed eyes, unconscious in his arms. He gently bears her to a low mossy mound. . . . and
lays her upon it. He looks upon her and closes her helmet; his eyes rest on the form of the sleeper,
which he covers with the great shield of the Valkyrie. He turns slowly away, then again turns
around with a sorrowful look.)
(He strides with solemn decision to the middle of the stage and directs
the point of his spear toward a large rock).
A forceful trombone passage precedes Wotan’s invocation of Loge:
? ## c
œ n œ´ b œ´ . œ´ œ´ ´ ´ ´
nœ bœ œ
˙
f
nœ bœ œ œ
ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ
Wotan’s evocation of Loge, god of fire:
? ## c œ .
Lo
œ
J
-
˙
ge, hör!
∑
˙
fp
œ œ œ ˙
R R J
œ
Lau
etc.
j
œ
-
sche hie-her!
Listening Guide continues
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CHORAL AND DRAMATIC MUSIC IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
WO TA N
Loge, hör’! Lausche hieher!
Wie zuerst ich dich fand, als feurige Gluth,
wie dan einst du mir schwandest,
als schweifende Lohe;
wie ich dich band, bann’ ich dich heut’!
Herauf, wabernde Lohe,
umlod’re mir feurig den Fels!
Loge! Loge! Hieher!
Loge, listen! Harken here!
As I found you first, a fiery blaze,
as once you vanished from me,
a random fire;
as I allied with you, so today I conjure you!
Arise, magic flame,
girdle the rock with fire for me!
(He strikes the rock thrice with his spear.)
Loge! Loge! Come here!
(A flash of flames issue from the rock, which swell to an ever-brightening fiery glow. Bright
shooting flames surround Wotan. With his spear he directs the sea of fire to encircle the rock; it
presently spreads toward the background, where it encloses the mountain in flames.)
“Magic fire’’ music heard in full orchestra:
.
.
.
œ. œ. œ. œ œ. œ. œ. n n œœ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ. œ. œ. # œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ. . œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. . œœ. . œ.
œ
œ œ
œœ
œ œ œ. œ
c œ
&
p
r
r
# # # # c œ ..
n œœ œœ ....
# œœ ˙˙
œœœ
œœœ
œœ ....
&
œ œ ..
#œ ˙
œ.
œ.
####
&
œ
œ
œ œ œ
n œetc.
nœ
#œ
# # # # œœ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‹ œ # œ ‹ œ œ œ œ œ
r
n œœ œœ ....
œ œ ..
##
& # # œœœ ......
sempre stacc.
r
n œœ
#œ
r cresc. poco a poco
# œœ œœ
œœ
‹ # œœœ ......
#œ œ
œ
“Magic sleep’’ motive evoked in descending chromatic line in woodwinds:
#### c # œ n œ b œ œ
&
ƒ
œ nœ œ nœ
œ nœ #œ œ
˙
nœ nœ
dim.
œ
p
‘‘Slumber’’ motive, heard in woodwinds:
#### c œ œ
&
p dolce
œ
œ. œ œ
J
WO TA N
(singing text to “Siegfried” motive)
Wer meines Speeres Spitze fürchtet,
durchreite das Feuer nie!
Whosoever fears the tip of my spear
shall never pass through the fire!
(He stretches out the spear as a spell. He gazes sorrowfully on Brünnhilde. Slowly he turns to
depart. He turns his head again and looks back. He disappears through the fire.)
Brass in fortissimo announcement of ‘‘Siegfried’’ motive; long orchestral closing:
? # # # # 44
œ ˙ ..
F più f
´ ´ nw
œ n ˙ .. œ œ
J
ƒ
˙ n œ . n œj n ˙ ..
´
œ ˙ .. n œ´ œ ˙ .
J
œ
J‰