, 1876-09-17

wears viii I'LL the ctllnk. What! part Win Inc
t tery Of T the W worids iloaa viii not think Of it.
Freieha, Froh, Dou'4er, all bescech him to give
the ring and save Freia, He will not. The
giants seize ncr from behind the gold and are
about to carry her off. just at this moment the
rocks at the right open, and Erda, wisest Of
women, who knows the past, the present, and
the future, the mother OF the three fatcs
who spin the destiny Of the world on their
loom, warns |Iofun to shun the curse OF the ring
its possession will bring him inevitable dcstruc-
ton. u All that is Will end, and q gloomy day
more, but Erda disappears. He throws the ring
on the pile. Freia is released. But already the
curse shows itself; the giants cannot agree upon
the division Of the ransom. In the quarrel
Fdf,ae kills Fdsoh and carries OF the entire
treasure. Wotda is still thoughtful over the ad-
moniton of Erdd and her prophecy Of the fate
OF the gods. But his wife points to the castle
that awaits them across the river: Douner steps
on high rock that oycrlooks the Rhine. He
gathers thunderclouds about him, filling the
whole valley of the river and hiding the castle
from sight. The forkcd lightning darts through
naturalism which recalls nothing that one has
ever witnessed under cover of i roof. AS the
storm clears away F1'oA, the god OF light,
spreads a rainbow from the mountain-height to
the castle. Walhalla shall be its name, says
Ipotcn, and the future shall show why it is
called the hall of the chosen. The gods step
upon their rainboW-bridge, and as they cross to
Wa1halla tho song Of the Rhine daughters rises
from the river) not joyful as when they sang to
.4iterich, put in minor key, lalnenting the lost
Rhine-gold.
Such is an outline OF the events Of the first
drama, which is in every respect Introductory to
the remaining dramas, "The Vallkyrie," ''siegg-
fricd,' and ttThc Dusk Of the Gods" In
~ o;pfs.
ring which, as tho title of the Trilogy-"Tne
Ring OF the Nibelung ''-implics, is the source
OF all the tragic events, which reach their cul-
mination only In the "Gottcrdammerung."
But as yet the curse Of the ring has shown itself
only in the death Of FasoH. In like manner,
the music Of |" Rhnc-gold " is strictly prclim-
mary to the overpowering development which it
is later to receive. We become familiar with
the themes singly, and not blended into that
harmonious complcxity which is carried to such
understandable grandeur in the two last dramas.
As those who are familiar with Wagner's earlier
works are aware, to him belongs the credit Of
inventing the dramatic use Of "leadng mo
tiycs,'' or Lclt-motiW. These are nothing more
thai. melodious phrases which attach to differ
e.lt characters, and give them musical indi-
viduality. Such motives may appear for the
iirst time with the first appearance Oh the scene
Of the characters to which they belong; or they
may forcshadow these characters approach; or
they may be taken up by the orchestra in pres
ence of other characters for the sake Of height
euing the contrast between present state Of
feeling and one that is remembered from the
past. Thus the motive with which the introduc-
ton to Rhne-Gold' begins is con-
nected later with the prophecies Erda,
with whom, as the determining power
Of fate itself, the idea OF eternity which NC have
said the Introductory motive expresses is
properly connected. The beautiful motive Of
ing; that of the Rhine-gol1 where the sun
shines down upon it. And where Pricku points
to the castle built for Hotca, we hear Tor the
first time the stately Wa1halIa motive, which is
soon Interrupted by the inexpressibly beautiful
motive which accompanies bresa'S flight from
the giants, and expresses her MAdcn]y ti1nidity.
No form Of musical expression could better il
-lustrate the contrast between the characters OF
the giants and Loge than their respective
motives. The sound of the Giant motive pre-
pares us t. the approach Of an elephant among
men, and tlc awkward e1uulsincss of the giants
does not disappoint us. But the motive OF
Loye is cunning personihe0; after q single hear
ing of it, we could be satisfied with no other to
express the quck-wittcdncss of the god who al
ways knows more than lie expresses. Such are
to hear more in the latter dramas. To say that
they follow one another in certain order, and
are the controlling features OF so much Of the
music Of this scene or OF that is all that words
can do to describe what Wagner has substituted
for the Italian succession OF aria, recitatiye,
duet, trio, chorus, aRd finale There are no
such things in his dramas. But the remaining
parts Of the lrlogy will best cxemplify the sue
cess OF his substitutions for them. W.