Die Walkure (The Valkyrie), Act III, opening and Finale

Date: 1856, first performed 1870 Munich Genre: Music drama: 2nd in the cycle of 4 (The Ring of Nibelung) Orchestra: Strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion Characters: Wotan father of the Gods (bass-baritone) Valkyries the 9 daughters of Wotan 1. Brunnhilde favourite daughter 2. Ortlinde 3. Gerhilde 4. Helmwige 5. Schwetleite 6. Waltraute 7. Siegrune 8. Rossweisse 9. Grimgerde

Act III, Scene 1: Ride of the Valkyries - Orchestra sets excited mood & image of flying warriors - Dotted figure gives way to famous Ride theme, heard in minor & major throughout scene - Focus on huge brass sound; alternation of high & low instruments - Chilling battle cries from Valkyries - Continuous fabric of orchestral music & singing Orchestral prelude, marked Lively (Lebhaft), in 9/8 meter Rushing string figure alternates with fast wavering in woodwinds Insistent dotted figure beings in horns & low strings Swirling string & woodwind lines, accompanied by dotted figure Famous Ride motive, heard first in minor key in horns Then in major key in trumpets Then heard in fortissimo as curtain opens

Act III, closing of Scene 3: Wotan and Brunnhilde - Sense of endless melody & continuous orchestral sound - Richly chromatic harmony for heightened emotional effect - Use of 4 recurring themes (leitmotifs) magic fire, magic sleep, slumber, Seigfried Forceful trombone passage precedes Wotans invocation of Loge( God of Fire) Magic fire music heard in full orchestra Magic sleep motive evoked in descending chromatic line in woodwinds Slumber motive, heard in woodwinds Brass in fortissimo announcement of Seigfried motive; long orchestral closing