The Valkyrie

the Valkyrie is the second of the four opera S which constitutes the Ring of Nibelung of Richard Wagner. The first was given to Munich on June 26th, 1870. It is in this opera that is celebrates it Chevauchée of the Valkyrie (act III, scene 1).

Characters

  • Wotan , Master of the gods, husband of Fricka (Baritone-low)
  • Fricka , goddess, wife of Wotan (Mezzo-soprano)
  • Siegmund , human, wire of Wotan, brother of Sieglinde (Tenor)
  • Sieglinde , human, wife of Hunding, sister of Siegmund (Soprano)
  • Hunding , human, husband of Sieglinde (low)
  • Brünnhilde , Valkyrie, girl of Wotan and Erda (soprano)
  • Gerhilde , Valkyrie (soprano)
  • Ortlinde , Valkyrie (soprano)
  • Waltraute , Valkyrie (mezzo-soprano)
  • Schwertleite , Valkyrie (mezzo-soprano)
  • Helmvige , Valkyrie (soprano)
  • Siegrune , Valkyrie (Contralto)
  • Grimgerde , Valkyrie (mezzo-soprano)
  • Roßweisse , Valkyrie (mezzo-soprano)

Synopsis

The history proceeds on bottom of passion and inceste.

Act I

Siegmund, exhausted, takes refuge in the residence of the Hunding warrior, who is not there but whose Sieglinde wife offers hydromel to him. He explains why, his lance and its shield being broken, he had to flee in front of his enemies. In spite of its wounds, it succeeded in escaping to them. Feeling that its forces returned, he wants to leave because its presence attracts the disorders. But Sieglinde requires of him to remain because it is unhappy in its couple.

Hunding returns to the home and owes, according to the habit, to offer hospitality, meal and lodging, abroad. Sieglinde, which is attracted more and more by this visitor who resembles to him curiously, requires of him to tell his history. Siegmund describes its return to the residence one day with his/her father and how they found his/her mother dead and her removed twin sister. They lived thereafter in the forest. At the time of a difficult combat they were separated and since Siegmund wanders.

Sieglinde having required to know its last adventure, it explains why it intervened to protect an young woman whom one forced with the marriage. She and her close relations was killed. Hunding announces then with its host who it belongs itself to the line that it fought: for this night, the laws of hospitality are crowned, but the following day will be dedicated to revenge. Hunding orders with his wife to fill up the cut of the evening, then the husband and the woman withdraw themselves in their room of rest.

Siegmund complains about its misfortune and remembers the promise made by his/her father find a sword when the danger would be imminent. Sieglinde returns. She explains why she put soporific in drink of Hunding and watch the sword which a foreigner inserted in the ash the day when she was married against her liking. They realize that they are brother and sister twins. Siegmund then withdraws the sword of the tree and “Notung baptizes it” (Distress). Sieglinde feels then free and is offered like amante.

Act II

In a wild and mountainous site, Wotan orders in its preferred Valkyrie, Brünnhilde (endowed with a disproportionate force by the port of a magic belt) of seller its horse, to fly to the help of Siegmund in its fight against Hunding. While pushing cries of joy, it leaves to carry out the order. By far, she informs Wotan that Fricka approaches on its harnessed tank of two rams; its brutal way to whip its dispach riders shows how much the anger of the protective goddess of the marriage is large. Arrived in front of Wotan, it requires a punishment against those which made adultery and the inceste. She knows that Wotan, disguised as a simple mortal, generated the two in love ones. Wotan tries to explain to Fricka which one needs for the hello gods a hero who is independent. Fricka then takes it with the word and requires that Wotan not intervene. It makes the oath and changes its orders of it.

Brünnhilde, seeing the distress of Wotan, requires the causes of them of him. He explains why, disturbed by the warning of Erda (at the end of the Gold of the Rhine) he allured the goddess of the memory of the universe to learn some more on the prophesied ruin: Brünnhilde of it resulted. It had generated eight other girls become the Valkyrie who collect the hearts of the heroes died to form an army against the needy dwarf Alberich. But all the precautions taken would be it in vain, if Albérich managed to reconquer the Ring. Undoubtedly, Fafner keeps it with the treasures but Wotan cannot remove the Ring to him since it is dependant by a contract. Only a character could do it who does not depend on any faction.

After a long walk, Siegmund wants that Sieglinde rests. The woman is with despair: shame and ignominie are the only goods which it will bring to her brother, and against Hunding, his/her companions and his pack, Siegmund will not be able to resist. It subsides, failing, between the arms of Siegmund. Tenderly, it lets it slip very against him, so that having sat down itself on the rock, the head of Sieglinde is to rest on its knees.

After a long silence, Brünnhilde leading its horse by the support advances, slow and solemn. It stops at a small distance from Siegmund. She announces a nearest death, but console to him the hero, by saying to him that she will lead it to Walhalla, where her Wotan father awaits it. When Siegmund learns that Sieglinde will not be able to accompany it, he refuses to follow Brünnhilde because he always relies on his sword. But the Valkyrie prevents it that Wotan removed its magic force with Notung. Plugged by its resentment, Siegmund curses his/her father. Brünnhilde is committed taking under its Sieglinde protection and the child who will be born from it; but Siegmund declares that it will kill its amante and will commit suicide then. The Valkyrie opposes this project and, taken pity, affirms that it will help the hero.

Ringings of horns announce the arrival of Hunding. With softness, Siegmund deposits his wife, who sommeille and precipitates with the meeting of her enemy. Sieglinde dreams that its residence is on fire; it calls the Help! her father, his mother and Siegmund. A violent one clap of thunder awakes it. In the distance, his/her brother and Hunding fight and she hears the voice of Brünehilde which encourages Siegmund. The warriors approach Sieglinde and when Siegmund is on the point of giving the fatal blow to Hunding, Wotan appears sudden; of its lance, it breaks Notung and Hunding can thus kill its adversary. At once, Sieglinde is taken in croup by Brünnhilde, which will put the woman in sure place. Scorning, Wotan orders in Hunding to announce in Fricka which it satisfied its requirements. At once after, Wotan leaves to the continuation the disobeying Valkyrie.

Act III

In a wild and mountainous area, the Valkyrie overlap while collecting the bodies of the late combatants to lead them to Walhalla. Brünnhilde arrives the last; it carries the body of Sieglinde. Out of breath, she tells, distressed, that Wotan continues it; in spite of the strict prohibition of her father, it helped and protected Sieglinde. She begs her sisters to help it to save Sieglinde, but those refuse. Even the exhausted woman does not want that one tries to help it: she wishes nothing any more but death. However when it was affirmed to him that it carries a son, Sieglinde also beseeches help and assistance. Brünnhilde gives him Grane, its destrier, and orders to him to flee towards the East; there to lie the treasure of Nibelungen, under the guard of Fafnir where they are with the shelter of the ire of Wotan. Brünnhilde entrusts to Sieglinde the remains of Notung, by affirming that one day, the son of Siegmund will gather the pieces of the weapon and by it will triumph. This is why, it will be called “Siegfried”, i.e. “the merry winner”. Sieglinde thanks its bienfaitrice: “Holy wonder! Virgin sublimates… Good-bye, blessed… ”, and leaves in all haste. Already the voice of Wotan is made hear.

Brünnhilde hides in the middle of his/her sisters, who in vain try to calm the ire of their father. As Wotan gives free course to its anger, because his/her preferred daughter disobeyed, Brünnhilde advances and requires its punishment. Wotan pronounces the following sorrow: “Valkyrie, it, but will be more banished of Walhalla, it will remain on this summit, where it will sleep without defense, until a man awakes it, who will be the Master to which it will obey. Misfortune with the sisters, if they do not flee the presence of Brünnhilde! ” With the roof of fear, the other Valkyrie run away themselves.

Remained only with Wotan, Brünnhilde tries to be defended saying that while thus acting, it had as only drank to carry out the intentions which the supreme god had conceived before the intervention of Fricka. Didn't Wotan become its own adversary by achieving the wishes of the Goddess? He acknowledges: Brünnhilde acted according to its desires, but the act was contrary with the interests of the gods. The Valkyrie reveals whereas Sieglinde is saved; she carries a son who one day will hold up the sword of his father. Begging, she adds: “Can Wotan grant, that only comes to awake Brünnhilde, a free hero, who has valiancy to face fire, that Wotan, vigilant guard of his daughter, will light in circle around it”. In a tender good-bye, Wotan promises. A kiss of the supreme god deprives the Valkyrie of her divine gifts. She reverses the closed eyes, and fall inert into her arms. It carries it with tenderness to a foam hillock, contemplates it, firm sound heaume the warlike one and the envelope of its large shield. He calls upon then Loge, the god of fire. Three times the lance of Wotan strike the rock: a flood of fire spouts out and swells little by little. Of his lance, the god indicates to the sea flames the circumference of the rock peak, marking kind to him the bed where it must roll; fire surrounds the summit of the mountain. Wotan finishes by uttering the following threat:

“Which of my lance fears the point, this fire never approaches. ”

Discography

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