New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-28
No. 7. Vocal Score, p. 2O7)
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A bold Thought, great resolution, seems to strike
the supreme god. Proudly he ascends the bridge,
and undisurbcd by the complaints Of the Rhine
daughters in tho depth Of the valley, or by LoGeo
muttered threats, the gods proceed to Their celestial
abode The grand chorus of the Walliall-moiye
GO 81 brings the Rhinegold" to a splendid musical
conclusion.
The "Rhinegoidr might be compared to the Pro-
logue in Heaven prclixed TO Gocthes Faust : for
like that, it foresA.dows in the minds Of divine
beings the suticrings and aspirations OF the human
actors. In the present drama, however the gods are
not placid COnloullat0rs Of the events to follow
they are themselves tragic objects and their own
fate. nay tlcr very existence, is at stake. The germs
of the whole trilogy may indeed be recognized in the
Introductory DRAMA and il for that reason to
be appropil,e before an,ferring tho acton from
the divine into tie human sphere, to sum up III few
words the leading features Of the dramatic idea.
without the consideration OF which, AZ sail before.
any attempt ut lnlsica! analysis would be- frutlcss.
The gold or which is the same in ainoral sense, to
thirst for gold is Tie fatal elem mt in the drama.
Uodn is subject to lis curse. and foresccs his final
doom from The powers os darkness in whose posses
lion he has been compelled 20 leave the Ring. lie
himself is declared by Ms promise from wrcnehins
il from the encmys grasp This can Olly be done by
the God-irSpirrd action of hero who by LIS own
free impulse and reg rllcss Of law, human or divine,
shall restore te treasure to the depth Of the Rhine.
This idea Of the mountaineering power OF free
impulse, we might almost say of heroism' in
Carlylcsscnsc, is tie grand background on which tho
human events Of the trilOgy are reilectcd it il n
tragic idea because the individual in this ideal strife
must perish. In ths sense SicJmand and Sieg'i1de,
SIaficd and BrynhiN become representatives OF that
pure fire of human aspiration which cannot be
g a'i.I NV "a
LIND fate but the essence Of their being remains
untouched by its strokes they die but they conquer
All this is virtually contained or at least fore
Swallowed in the Rhinegold, and for that reason
have .lwelt upon it ut greater length than its post
AZ an Introductory piece would seem TO warrant
Another reason for treating its single scenes with
some corlprchensivcness must be found in my desire
to Introduce the reader thoroughly into the funda-
mental principle Of WagncI's art, which in n few
words may be described the perfect reciprocity Of
his pOc;ical and his musical purpose. Here again
must beg leave To say a few recaptulating words
which, of course, in all essential points, apply equally
to the dramas of the trogy itself But have pre-
ferrcd to connect them with work Of comparatively
smaller compass which does not by its very dimcn
sion battle the efforts Of inqurcrs.
IT has already been said that in Wagncr's later
style the chief weight of musical expression isplaccd
In tho dialogue not to be mistaken for the duet IL
which lattsr two persons sing together, while in the
former they each other just as in the spoken
drama. Pieces of concerted music for two voices
Wagner introduces only where the common emo
| ton of two speakers wond make their simultaneous
uttcrance POLITICALLY cxplainabe. Instances Of this
ind occur very rarely in the Niblungen," not nj
al in the "Rhinegold" The dialogue itself is
tally of declamatory kind. resembling nearest
what in the ordinary opera is called rccltatve obbH
gG'o, from which. however, it differs by greater
meodious breadth, intensified occasionally TO lyrical
eiinsions of great beauty. The chorus, another i'm
p,rtant feature If the orthodox OPERA is almost on.
ii ely dispensed with by Wagner. In the Rhine
goldv and the "Valkyric" 1t is In a certain sense
represented by the Rhincdaughiers and the eight
swol-naidcns respectively. but In "Siegfried" it b.
omitted entirely. Ia tho Dnsk of the Gods" where
Iar chorus proper is introduced. 1t Is strictly re-
..' p, Zee ,oursc Of the action itseH The poly