Wagner's Ring Cycle The Ring Cycle, also known as “ Der Ring des Nibelungen” was written by a German composer named Richard Wagner. This cycle contains four epic operas. It took Wagner about 26 years to write this opera. He started in 1848 and finished in 1874. The entire opera is based loosely on Germanic mythology and also influenced on Wagner's concepts of ancient Greek drama. The first part of the opera is called “Das Rheingold.” Although this is the first in the sequence of the opera, it was the last to be written. His plans for the cycle grew backwards, starting at the hero, Siegfried's, death and then include his youth and the story of events around his conception. After Wagner wrote the trilogy he decided it needed a prelude and that is when he wrote “Das Rheingold.” The scale of the whole work is established in the prelude over 136 bars, beginning with a low E flat and adding in more and more figuration's of the chord E flat major. This is used to portray the movement of the river Rhine. At the beginning of the show the curtain rises at the bottom of the Rhine, and the three Rhine maidens, Woglinde, Wellgunde, and Flosshilde play together. After this the key will shift to A flat and an innocnent song begins to be played by the Woglinde. Alberich, a Nibelung dwarf appears from a dark chasm and tries to woo the Rhine maidens. The maidens mock Alberich's ugliness and laugh at his advances which causes him to get angry. Suddenly the sun begins to rise and the maidens praise the glow on top of a rock and the dwarf asks what it is. The maidens explain that it is Rhine gold that their father instructed them to guard. This gold can be made into a ring and the person wearing the ring can become the ruler of the world but... ... middle of paper ... ...ar on Hagen's spear that the other one is lying. Whoever is proved to be false will be killed with Hagen's spear. Everyone then plans to kill Siegfried and steal the ring from him. The Rhine maidens urge Siegfried to return the ring but he laughs in their face and walks away. Siegfried is then given another potion which makes him recall him memory and tell everyone about him and Brünnhilde. Hagen then proceeds to stab him in the back with his spear. Gunther and Hagen then battle over the ring but Hagen easily kills Gunther. When he goes to take the ring off of Siegfried's finger, his hand suddenly rises threateningly. Brünnhilde makes a plan to get the curse off the ring by wearing in and burning herself alive. After she dies the fire spreads and all the gods end up dying and the ring is returned to the Rhein maidens. This concludes the four parts of the opera.
As the play opens, there is much merrymaking and festivity in preparation for the play. The sheer happiness of all of the colorful characters is transferred to the reader almost instantly. The mood is portrayed very well as being light and bubbly, an overall good feeling. The next major shift comes when Cyrano enters and, after riding himself of Montfleury, puts on the spectacle wherein he demonstrates not only his impeccable verbal dexterity, but also his fencing abilities - and both at the same time. This whole scene causes a strong reaction from the audience, and in turn, the re...
The thoughts of Ulrich protecting his land and how tired he is of Georg trying to steal his land; produces a conclusion in Ulrich’s mind, that murder is the only solution: “The two enemies stood glaring at one another for a long silent moment. Each had a rifle in his hand, each had hate in his heart and murder uppermost in his mind.” (Saki Page 3). The feeling of savagery in the two main characters, foreshadows how the quarrel is to be finalized. The planned response to this quarrel does not end in meeting the other and killing the other with a shot, but is instead compromised. The compromise of the quarrel is them waiting for whoever's foresters come and return for them first: “We fight this quarrel out to the death, you and I and our foresters, with no cursed interlopers to come between us. Death and damnation to you, …” (Saki Page 4). When Georg says that they will fight out their quarrel to the death, the savagery in their tone is strong, and will not be pushed away. In Ulrich’s mind murder is the choice to solve this problem, no matter the cost. As you can see, Wolves are to savagery as, Ulrich is to
On page 103 it says,” She wants to buy needles and thread, fabric and sandals from the camp’s black market.” This means Ha’s mother is thinking about selling her ring for clothes and other items because everything is starting to get expensive. In conclusion, the amethyst ring is very valuable to Ha’s family because they need to survive without money due to the prices that keep rising in their local
from the start , the use of the opera music and the western style of
When An-mei returned with her mother to Teintsin, she had an encounter with Second Wife who gave her a pearl necklace. Her mother scolded her for it. "what you hear is not genuine. She(Second Wife)makes clouds with one hand, rain with the other. She is trying to trick you, so you will do anything for her", but An-mei "tried not to listen to my mother". In the end, An-mei's mother crushed the pearl necklace and it was only then that An-mei realized "the necklace that had almost bought my heart and mind now had one bead of crushed glass". Her mother did not want An-mei to let Second Wife "buy you(her) for such a cheap price". After that, An-mei would always "remember how easy it is to lose myself to something false". An-mei saw the truth beyond the surface with her mother's help.
focus of both main characters is to harm the other. Ulrich believes that Georg is trespassing on his
The overture in Eb major opens with three fully orchestrated chords. The number three appears throughout Mozart’s score, and this Masonic number’s application at the beginning of the opera, both in the chords and the three-flat key, is hardly coincidence. Twelve placid measures follow in what can be called ‘the calm before the storm’. The second violins open the Allegro by introducing a dynamic staccato fuga...
The brass plays an ascending sequence, followed by pizzicato notes played by the strings, and an ascending and descending scale on the harp. Strings and oboe play the rhythmic melody, whilst the trumpet plays fanfares in syncopation. The oboe is then replaced by the flute. There is an ascending scale played by the strings, then the brass section repeats the string and oboe melody with cymbal crashes at cadence points. The orchestra then plays a loud melody with cymbal crashes and drum rolls. There is an interrupted cadence, followed by crescendo with cymbal crashes and a brass ostinato. The piece ends with a perfect cadence.
ring has a mind of its own and it uses ita own power to corrupt ones mind to its own truths. It
...re was very interesting transitions between the variation, for example, string section plays the variation from low to high, when they reach the highest note, the brass family takes over and continue with the scale and make it more higher. Tremolo style was used in this piece, which is a quick ups and downs stroke mode. The music were very soothing and attracted the audience. Lastly, they end the piece with the same variations that was played at the beginning.
The prologue to the beginning of this play calls upon the "Muse" to help present the play. The chorus explains to the audience of the difficulties faced in presenting this play. It is difficult to transform a small stage to represent the English or French Courts, or the battlefield in France. They apologize, telling the audience, "But pardon, gentles all, the flat unraised spirits that hath dared on this unworthy scaffold to bring forth so great an object" (li 8-11). It is difficult to depict the life of King Henry V with all the honor and glory that he deserves when presenting it on the stage. ...
In Act III Scene I of his opera Pelléas et Mélisande, Claude Debussy employs methods of voice leading by step and tritone, several repetitive and stressed motives, and an overarching transition throughout the scene from E minor to E major, overall displaying the themes of innocence, lust, desire, and betrayal. The overarching voicing leading through the scene takes us from E minor to E major, by stepping down to the middle goal of C in measure 105, and then steps up to return to E in measure 180. Noting the significance of this movement, one should notice what aspects of the text are highlighted by stepping to a newly stressed note area.
First, deception is shown through appearance. In the necklace Mathilde wanted to look rich among the guests at the ball. The appearance of the jewelry around her neck and the lie told to Madame Forestier about the necklace ended up affecting the Loisels. It all started because of Mathilde's desire to be appear rich. When her husband gave
Johannes Brahms himself directed the debut of his Variations on a Theme by Haydn with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Bavaria in 1873, making our experience of attending a performance by the same ensemble in Carnegie Hall more than 140 years later all the more special. The program directed by Latvian Andris Nelsons also included, besides the aforesaid work, Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No.90 in C Minor, Johannes Brahm’s Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op.90 and Johann Strauss’s waltz Seid Umschlungen, Millionen (“Be Embraced, You Millions”) –which was actually dedicated to Brahms- as a surprise encore. Also known as Saint Anthony Variations, Brahms composed his Variations during a summer stay in Lake Starnberg near Münich during a time where he had finally, after the premiere of A German Requiem in 1868, achieved recognition throughout Europe. He based his work on a theme in Chorale Saint Antoni originally attributed to Haydn, although in the nineteenth century this was questioned and the piece remains unattributed to this day. Brahms composed two versions of this work –one for two pianos, the other for orchestra- both of which consist on a theme on B-flat major, eight variations and a finale in passacaglia form.