The New York herald., 1876-08-17


issuing from its mouth This animal, may
add, is an English Importation, and has
very pantomimic air about It, Loge pretends to be
very terrified and asFs Alberch II he also assume
shapes of very small dim nson, and to please nis
whcreupon the gods him, take the Tarnhelmet
away from him, bind him, and then he assumes MS
natural shape but helpless prisoner. The music 10
this scene Is wild and angry and nearly all the musea
motives successfully developed expressing the
conf citing interests and emotion at work.
THE RANSOM voR FRELA.
The changes IN the fashion, and We find
ourselves once more in full of wahaa, as In the
second scene though the burg still concealed by the
gloomy msts that gathered after Frcia's departure.
Wotan and Logo appear with the bound Nibeiung, and
then they compel him to sacrifice The whole ,1oIe
tho subtorrancan regions by army OF curl
gnomes TO the strains of the Anvil Motive.
All the treasures the rarnhcme taken away from
the writing Nbcung, and finally Logo wrcss the ring
from his grasp. alter which he releases him. Then
he pronounces the the Riug, that all who
1t shall die. Herr H., who performs the part Of
artistic perfection. sam iree-rcally free i?
To my freedom be ven my first greeting As the ring
ring. II lis gold gave mo power without limit, so now
let death bc his who shall posses It, None shall
henccorh rejoice IN it; shall laugh at Its sheen;
cares aud troubles shall be the possessors and Who
ever snail not have 1t be eaten by envy Each shall
grasp after 1t, but none shall enjoy 1t In grace Tho
rings master snail be IT'S servant until IL shall be re-
stored 10 again. Preserve 1t well, but from my
curse the possessor can never escape"
GIANTS AND GODS
The gods have by all assembled Tho giants
then appear to claim thelr ransom ior Frea. wotnn
offers them the n bcungs hoard or as much as piled
between TWO poles representing the size OF Frca
The two giants begin eagerly to pile up the precious
treasures, article OF which is at last consumed,
even the larnhelmet has been gwen up But he
giants not yet quite satisfied, for Fauer csplcs
small opening IN the pile through which he can see
the cleaning OF the goddess's eye he demands that
this chink shall be closed up with the ring. woan
absolutely refuses to give This part OF the treasure
rsh ere .bou. to break the barsnn and carry
the goddess away with them second tmc when "a
mysterious form appears suddenly from the rocks; II
is Erda FRAU l.aide Darmsladt the mother Of the
Norps the all knowing the symbol OF the earth us the
principle OF the origin OF life as well as OF DEATH be-
cause she Is the receiver OF all In solemn words ho
uttcrs warning TO Woan OF the curse which attaches
TO the possession OF the rng and OF the doom which
threatens the gods because they have snned. There
upon Odn recalls the giants and sacrifices the ring and
Freia restored 10 the circle Of the gods In the
chestra we are reminded once more OF the Nibeiung
the giants busy putting the treasures into
immense sack They are now the true Nibcungs,
in The sense that all are be who possess the ring
The attached to the ring and the treasures IS
apparent. loge has been whispering In Fasolts
that he should demand the ring and full share OF
tho treasures strife ensues aud the result rs that
Fafner slays his brother, Fasolt This ID the first
effect OF the Nibelungs curse, as tho Curse motive ex
men, recognizing the truth of the warning that Erda
had just uttered. "Fcarul," says odin,, 'is indeed
CURSE"
.Sce," adds Loki. consongy, "how thy enemies
kill each other in the struggle for the ring and
the g What a can "oua ssenv WIN ees Sy
by the fear OF approaching catastrophe ana
decides to descend to Erda TO ask her advice.
Frcka endeavors TO comfort the supreme god by
calling his attention to the glorious pile OF Wahalla
that stands teloro them IN majesty and spendor, aud
which only awaits ITS pants and its ruler A mag
nihcent and terrible follows Bonner points 10
the gloomy clouds that still hang thrcateningy over
valley and burg ''To purify the Sky the dread
clouds, Will gather the ghtnings forks and clear up
tho threatening sky, so that the gods may ENJOY ul
view OF walhaIla." Ascending high peak aud lit
ing high his hammer, he cries aloud TO the elementary
powers under his control The black clouds descend
and gather around tho god in dense thunder
chrged masses, as If following his bchests. Then
with his uphtted hammer he evokes from the clouds
the lightning that darts hther and thithcr above his
head, while the thunder roars with q deafening din
around HIM. 1t
A SCENE OF TERRIBLE GRANDEUR.
almost overwhelming in its conception and execution.
II is as II were looking upon the god himself at his
mysterious work brothers, mine, 4" he exclaims, II
will show thee the way to the burg" In the next
instant the sky IS clear, and beautiful blending rain
bow spans from the valley Wahalia across the river
that flows below. Another effect surprisingly
beautiful the gathering of tho thunder clouds at
Donner's bchest. and musical effects as grand the
scene displays follow The rays of the setting sun
fall glowingiy and lovingly upon the glorious
music there develops tie strains OF solemnly maJcs
tic theme in the orchestra and the chords OF SIX harps
with their thrilling Joy These grow with every
moment in power and grand, peaing beauty. until at
last the full tone Of the Wahaa motive comes out In
It's magnificent grandeur. And as the gods ana god
desscs again united proceed to the rainbow
bridge the music grows INTO a majestic cain with the
bling the delight. Grand Wotan he stands tho
rainbow, sunk in tho sight OF the grand towering
pile:-
Lovingly streameth the soft rays Of tho sun
In giering glow fall on the gttcring burg.
As she morning broke, in its blending display.
Iordess it stood. 1t seemed to invite me.
Not easily was it cen won for erm cursed cares
Now descepdeth the night-'iole whose envious gnzo
Wahaa doth offer us safety and shelter
theesaicgusrd gainst terrors and fears
Loge alone hcsitates TO 20 with the other gods to
Waihalla, Tor he secs in the events that they have
catastrophe ''See them hasten to the end-thcy who
iancied thor existence so hrmy rooted Nay. am
to do" The gods go on in stately PROCESSION
Wotan proud aud in the possession of the burG, the
grand strains OF the waihaln motive, disturbed only
Rhine Daughters song and the musical motive that
comes up 10 them from the depths of
nymphs the lost treasure. "Rhrc gold,
purest gold, how gieamngly clear thou shinest
on u.s. For thee thou ciearest gem, now we lament
Give us the gold, give the pure gold again. ~
Wotan hears the lament Loge tells him that IL Is tho
Rhine daughters lamcntng the loss the gold wo,an
tells HIM rebuke the accurscd maidens. Logc tells
the maidens:-.Ye there in the water why cry ye TO
US? Hear what is Wotan's wish II the gold glitlcrs
longer upon you, henceiorth live bssiully in the
sunshine oil the glory that surroubdeth the gods
But st the Rhine daughters wall in the depths, and
their lament Is the only shadow In the elissu exultng
strains OF Walhalla:-
o, that thy treasure
S,ll S.n, u pissted .na d,m,, n our homo.
Are bui found in the depths.
Is all that dwelleth abovel
THE SINGERS
SO ends "Rheingoldn-a sublime overture in music
poetry and scenery The entire music Is permeatcd
by nat urll freshness which Is inspiring the IN
vlgorating brcczes OF the Fichelgebirge. The c)s-
tunes OF the costly aud magn nicent dcscrip
ton the gods made alter the best known draw
ings and sketches OF the old Germanic heroes. The
action is dramatic. at times highly dramatic. though
tn element is developed 10 much greater extent IN
tho later and heroic parts he Ring The gods them
selves are not much the dramatic movers of the
work grand figures who SIMPLY rule the world they
fashion, and presented on the stage Lot much to de-
velop the drama show the descent OF Segricd
they are rather joval body OF diyinitics each Of
whom has his appointed duties the DIVISION o labor beng
carried "A very full degree. Woan Is a grand
figure but somewhat weak about certain social mat
tiers, and than once taken TO task in divine
fashion by Frcka for Dcglecting his own family circle
aud wandering about earth eDdeavoring to create
heroes t Tor Walhalia and defence OF the threat
ened divine existence. Wagner has drawn them with