Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)

Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is the second of four operas of Richard Wagner’s (1813-1883) ring cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), and is in German. It is inspired by a fusion of Norse mythology and a collection of epic medieval poems called the Nibelunglied (Song of the Nibelungs). It is in three acts, with the libretto having been written by Wagner himself. Wagner was one of the few composers of his time who wrote his own librettos. 

In the previous opera, Das Rheingold, Alberich, a young Nibelung dwarf, steals gold from the bottom of the Rhine and forges it into an all-powerful ring. The ring is then stolen by Wotan (ruler of the gods), who has to give it to Fafner (a giant) in payment for the construction of Valhalla (fortress of the gods). Wotan is the father of a pair of twins: Siegmund and Sieglinde, the former of which he hopes could one day regain possession of the ring for him, securing his power over his enemies. In the first act of Die Walküre, the twins Siegmund and Sieglinde meet at the forest dwelling of his arch-nemesis Hunding. Sieglinde at this point was forced to marry Hunding, whom she had no love, passion, or desire for. Unaware that they were in fact twins (they had been separated from birth), they fall in love with each other. Siegmund pulls out a magical sword, Nothung, from an ash tree that Wotan had embedded three years earlier. Afterwards, they run off into the night to consummate their newfound love. In the second act, Wotan asks her favourite Valkyrie daughter Brünnhilde with the task of assisting Siegmund in his battle against Hunding. In response to Hunding’s complaints, his wife Fricka compels her husband to punish him for his incestuous transgression: he is not to be assisted in battle. Brünnhilde directly disobeys this command in an attempt to save Siegmund, however he dies regardless. She runs off in shame. As punishment for her defiance, in the third and final act Wotan puts her to sleep surrounded by a ring of fire and makes her wait until one day, a brave hero will cross the ring of fire to wake her up and become her husband. That hero will eventually be Siegfried, the son of Siegmund and Sieglinde. 

The opera is an excellent demonstration of Wagner’s musical style and characteristics. There are several instances, for example, where Wagner makes use of his signature Leitmotifs (German for leading motive), which are melodic fragments that are assigned symbolic meaning, whether it be a character, object, place, emotion, or concept: the “slumber,” “magic sleep,” “magic fire, ”“spear,” “Loge,”and “Siegfried” Leitmotifs are all present when Wotan prepares to part with his daughter Brünnhilde, which are supported effectively by the orchestra. Die Walküre additionally makes use of extended dialogue between central characters, endless melodies, and use of chromaticism, also present in the Leitmotifs. The “slumber” Leitmotif features lows strings that play a descending ostinato-like figure, which is woven symphonically throughout the scene. When Wotan kisses her daughter in the eyes, the “magic sleep” Leitmotif takes over, played by harp and woodwinds; its chromatic harmonies move in contrary motion. The “spear” Leitmotif takes shape in a bold, descending figure, played by trombones. Wotan uses his spear (symbol of his power) to summon Loge (god of fire), symbolized by a thirty-second note trill. String tremolos accompany Wotan’s invocation. The “magic fire” Leitmotif features staccato sixteenth notes in the woodwinds that suggest the flickering flames. When Wotan prophesies the rescue of her daughter by Siegfried (in the final opera) without naming him. As he does this, he is accompanies by the “Siegfried” Leitmotif, which is an upward-thrusting theme played by the brass. As Wotan leaves her sleeping, mortal daughter, the “slumber” and “magic fire” Leitmotifs gently combine; the curtain falls.

Wagner’s music captures the emotional melancholy and emotional intensity of this poignant farewell. This is just one of the many instances where his music seamlessly combines with the plot and drama that occurs on stage in the cycle, and is an illustrious example of Wagner’s musical style and innovations.