The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-14
DIE WALKURE IS
DAMROSCH
THEME
Great Audience Charmed BY
Noted Artist In Lecture
on Wagner's Opus.

Transported back into the days
before history, a capacity audience
at Central High School last night
saw the unfolding of events leading
to the final downfall of the old
world gods as revealed in Die
| Walkure, the first of Richard
Wagner's monumental Nibelungen
Ring trilogy, in the second of a
series of three lectures by Walter
IDamrosch, under the auspices of
the Washington Society of Fine
Arts.
Damrosch, in his first lecture,
last month, dealt with Das Rhein-
gold, the prologue to the three
dramas unfolding the great story of
the twilight of the rule by force
and craft and the coming dawn of
world swayed by love and brother
ly sympathy.
From the first outbreak of the
storm, the prelude to Walkure,
Damrosch held the audience under
a spell of words and music. He
showed the development of the
heroism of Siegmund, the beloved
son and hero of Wotan, chief of
the gods, created to break the spell
of the fatal Ring, and sympathetical-
ly unfolded the Inflated love of
Siegmund for Sieglinde, bride-by-
force of Hunding, leading into the
sublimely beautiful spring song of
Siegmund. Damrosch's playing of
melodies in all music, stirred his
audience to enthusiasm. He also
this song, one of the tenderest
played the music which brings the
first act to a wonderful close, as
Siegmund wrests from the stem OF
the ash tree the sword which
Wotan has left him for time of
need and rushes off with Sieglinde
into the moonlight drenched forest.
In the second act Damrosch re-
vealed the unhappy plight of Wo-
tan, compelled by Fricka, his wife,
and goddess of the sacred rites of
marriage, to order the death Of his
hero-son for his violation of those
rites in carrying off Seiglinde from
the hearth of her husband AS
Wotan sadly orders his wlkyr daugh-
ter, Brunnhilde, to slay Siegmund
in his coming battle with Hunding,
he sees his dreams of the release of
the gods from the spell of the ring
shattered.
Brunnhilde, moved to compassion
by Siegmund's love for Seiglinde,
decides to spare his life, knowing
that in breaking Wotan's order she
is yet carrying out the wishes of
the all-father's heart. Wotan, how
ever, stirred to anger by her dis
obedience, skaters Siegmund's
sword and the hero is slain by
Hunding, whom Wotan strikes down
in contempt. Brunnhilde fees with
Seiglinde, who is destined to bear
the hero Seigfried, who will sue
coed Siegmund.
The third act, opening with the
atempestuous Ride of the Walkyries,
is the story of Wotan's punishment
Of Brunnhilde. In his hot anger
he at first condemns her to loss of
her godhood and tells her she shall
be cast into a deep sleep and shall
become the property of the first man,
coward and beast though he be,
who shall awaken her.
Moved to compassion by her
beautiful plea for mercy, he con-
by a wall of flame, through which
only the greatest Of heroes shall
dare to break and so win her for
bride. Damrosch then played frag-
ments from the exalted farewell of
Wotan to his daughter, as he kisses
away her godhood and covers her
sleeping body with her shield and
armor. Wotan then commands
Loki, god of fire, to surround the
rock with flames and, as the fire
mounts upward, he turns for a last
farewell glance, as the motive of
the destined hero, Siegfried, crashes
forth in the orchestra and the
work comes to a close with the
twice repeated motive OF Fate,