Wagner: Götterdämmerung - An Analysis
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2020
- Vince Sheehan walks through this famous opera, looking at the various leitmotifs that help tell the story. Musical illustrations are played on the piano and the violin. Numbers in brackets refer to bars/measures:
Götterdämmerung
Distillation of libretto: the hope of redemption through love
Prologue
A (Prelude); B (The Norns recount Wotan's rape of the World Ash Tree, foretell Valhalla's destruction & remind of Alberich's curse; the rope snaps - 27); C (Sunrise; Siegfried & Brunnhilde proclaim their love for one another; Siegfried gives Brunnhilde the ring, she gives her horse Grane; Siegfried goes off on adventures - 304); D (Siegfried's rhine journey - 717)
Act 1
Scene 1: A (Hag reminds Gunther and Gutrune of their need to marry); B (Hag's solution - 60); C (Sieg draws near - 239)
Scene 2: A (Sieg is welcomed - 346); B (Sieg tells Hag of the tarnhelm and the ring - 388); C (Sieg drinks a potion which erases his recent memory; he falls in love with Gutrune and asks to marry her - 466); D (Siegfried offers to help Gunther take Brun if he can marry Gutrune - 563); E (Siegfried & Gunther make a blood oath - 637); F (Siegfried questions Hagen & then leaves with Gunther to take Brun - 727); G (Gutrune is ecstatic - 828); H (Hagen reveals his lust for the ring & subsequent power - 870); I (interlude)
Scene 3: A (Brun hears Waltraute approach - 1037); B (Brun informs Waltraute concerning her punishment & freeing by Siegfried - 1091); C (Brun notices Waltraute’s anxiety - 1171); D (Waltraute tells Brun of Wotan’s despair & asks her to return the ring - 1222); E (Brun refuses to part with the ring - 1375); F (Brun, whilst expecting Siegfried, is met by an intruder - 1547); G (Sieg disguised as Gunther seizes the ring - 1618); H (Brun is powerless - 1769); I (Sieg (disguised as Gunther) is led to Brun’s cave. He vows to honour his agreement with Gunther - 1805)
Act 2
Scene 1: A (Prelude); B (Alberich bolsters Hag's desire to win the ring - 39); C (Dawn - 188)
Scene 2: A (Sieg rouses Hag - 236); B (Sieg, reunited with Gutrune, tells of his winning of Brun on Gunther's behalf - 266); C (Gutrune orders Hag to call the vassals together for the wedding - 362)
Scene 3: A (Hag calls the vassals to arms - 393); B (the vassals respond - 437); C (Hag tells the men about Gunther, Brun, Sieg and for them to prepare for the wedding - 504); D (the vassals laud Hag and make merry - 636); E (the vassals welcome Gunther - 687)
Scene 4: A (Entry of Gunther & Brun - 750); B (Gunther presents Brun - 765); C (Gunther shares his joy concerning Sieg & Gutrune - 788); D (Brun despairs in her confusion and faints - she notices the ring on Sieg's finger - 815); E (Brun starts demanding information about Sieg, Gunther and the ring - 868); F (Hag begins to turn on Siegfried & tries to incriminate him; Brun realises she’s been tricked - 907); G (Brun wonders why the gods have treated her so badly - she wants vengeance on Sieg and tells of their marriage - 978); H (Siegfried defends himself, but Brunnhilde talks of their past, including her knowledge of Nothung - 1041); I (Sieg calls for an oath, Hag responds - 1091); J (Sieg makes an oath on Hag's spear, but Brunnhilde curses it - 1128); K (Sieg manages to redeem himself in front of the crowd - 1213); L (the crowds, Sieg and Gutrune disperse - 1286)
Scene 5: A (Brun expresses her despair at Siegfried’s treachery - 1337); B (Hag offers to avenge Brun and learns of his mortal weakness - 1377); C (the shamed Gunther is persuaded by Hag & Brun to be complicit in Siegfried’s murder - 1462); D (Gunther and Brun marry - 1680)
Act 3
Scene 1: A (prelude); B (the Rhinemaidens yearn for the return of the ring - 51); C (They ask Sieg for the ring - 161); D (The R'maidens warn Sieg of the curse on the ring - 261); E (he refuses to pass it over - 363); F (they bid farewell to Sieg, prophesy his death and the end of the world (402); G (the R'maidens disappear - 445)
Scene 2: A (Hag, Gunther & the vassals arrive - 502); B (Hag asks Sieg about his hunt; Sieg shares the R'maiden’s prophecy regarding his death - 552); C (Siegfried tries to banter w Gunther - 594); D (Sieg tells his story - 654); E (he tells of awakening Brun after regaining his memory from a drink - 756); F (Siegfried is stabbed in the back by Hag - 835); G (Sieg recalls awakening Brunn as he is about to die - 867); H (Sieg dies; funeral music - 913)
Scene 3: A (Gutrune is fearful & yearns for Sieg's return - 989); B (Hag heralds Sieg’s death, murders Gunther & demands the ring - 1029); C (Arrival of Brun; Gutrune understands Hag's treachery - 1158); D (Brun orders the firewood to be stacked up - 1232); E (Brun bids farewell to S’s body - 1269); F (She laments the actions of Wotan - 1299); G (She takes the ring off S’s finger & vows to return it to the R'maidens through the cleansing fire - 1365), H (she lights the fire - 1417); I (She longs to be with Sieg in death - 1450); J (Valhalla is destroyed, the r'maidens regain the ring - 1499)
Greetings from Belgium. Thank you so much for this wonderful analysis. I have discovered new details and more clarity of this extraordinary composition and complicated story. I find the opera deeply moving and emotional.
Amazing video 😊 Tristan und Isolde is my suggestion for a video. The Tristan chord is magical.
Thank you! Yes Tristan has been on my horizon for a while - great suggestion!
I love love LOVE this analysis. You're awesome. Thank you!
Thanks for commenting!
Super lecture, which I really enjoyed. Thank you so much
Your series has been a great companion to my first Ring cycle viewing/listening. Thank you!
A boring question, but do you have a favourite among the four? Despite their obvious unity, I was struck by the range and diversity of material they cover. Each tells a very different type of story, and they all left such a unique impression. Even 'Siegfried', which I didn't think I'd enjoyed so much at the time, has been hugely thought provoking on reflection.
Also, this might be a bit of a hefty request, but if you ever find time I'd love more Wagner analysis videos!
I think my favourite is Die Walkure - although it’s tight! I will definitely get around to more Wagner. Thanks for the great comment!
Yes please. Puccini's Edgar. 🍀
😃
This is fantastic. I'm currently doing a research paper analyzing the music of Wagner and how it resonated with Adolf Hitler. You introduce some very interesting points about Wagner which will help greatly!
I’m glad to be of assistance! Thanks for commenting
Great! Just a tiny mishap on 33:32
Yes you’re quite right!
Hi the description is blank for me
Sorry! I am still writing it - I didn’t know it was public yet!
@@vincentsheehan3193 haha ok, take your time it's a long one haha. Only heard the Tannhauser overture fro Wagner so will be nice to hear more