#WednesdayWagner Dear friends, your favourite twitter weekly thread is here again :) Yes, I know that "Second parts were never good", but today there's a exception: "WOTAN AND BRÜNNHILDE, part 2". Let's go!
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading #Wotan #Brunnhilde #Leitmotifs
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading #Wotan #Brunnhilde #Leitmotifs
#WednesdayWagner In the previous week we presented the 'Wotan's spear' leitmotif and discovered how this was transformed into the 'Brünnhilde's lament' leitmotif, meaning that Brünnhilde is indeed getting some of the Wotan roles in the general plot
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner We can observe the same kind of process in 'Brünnhilde's Sleeping' Motive (or 'Brünnhilde's appeal to Wotan), which can be heard at the end of "Die Walküre", at 4.24 and also at 13:39 in the link below
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner This motive is a mix between the "nature" motive of "Das Rheingold" (see below) and the descendent scale of Wotan's spear (skipping just a few pitches)The relation between Wotan and Brünnhilde is again clearly established
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner Another transformation occurs in the also called "Sleeping Motive". This is a series of major chords (with some diminished between them) creating a distinctive sound. You can listen to it in this link
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner For sure you notice that the upper line is a descendent chromatic scale, which in my opinion is also a transformation of the original Wotan's spear leitmotiv. Brünnhilde is sleeping, ok, but because of Wotan
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner Another proof to that hypothesis is the "Wanderer" leitmotif that appears in "Siegfried": Since Wotan is taking another aspect, it's leitmotif is a bit different:
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner What is happenning? Well, is the same idea as "Brünnhilde Sleeping" motive, but switching some pitches generating a kind of saw-teeth scale. Again, Der Wanderer is an extension of Brünnhilde sleep, which was an extension of Wotan
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner Last but not least: Let's focus on the Immolation Scene at Götterdämmerung. First excerpt: The descendent scale at "Schweigt Eures Jammers Jauchzenden Schwall" (with the great Flagstad singing) symbolizing the "Twilight of the Gods"
#WednesdayWagner Second excerpt: the ascendent scale played by the orchestra at "Starke Scheite" (in this case with the wonderful Nilsson) reflecting the "Power of the Gods"
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner In my opinion, both themes are an evolution of 'Wotan's spear' leitmotif (the original descendent scale), so Wagner really is telling that, at the very end, Brünnhilde is the one carrying the real freedom of choice in the plot
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner She indeed has obtained the whole power of Wotan and she is also has a the decisive role to play in the 'Götterdämmerung'
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner Of course, they are also related (especially looking at inner voices) to the first Rhin motive, to Erda motive, to Nature ... there are many connected motives along the work, so these double relations should not surprise us
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#WednesdayWagner But, very important, ALL OF THIS is said by musical means, by wise and serious manipulation of the pieces that provide sustain and give sense to this cathedral of human creation called "Der Ring des Nibelungen"
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
#TwitterCultural #SummerReading
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