MUSIO. 



art. In the scenery, which surpassed every- 

 thing ever beforo witnessed, and formed a 

 potent tuljunct to the drama, about the only 

 exception taken was at the clumsiness of the 

 ii-scone. The friends of Wagner, who 

 h:id hoard parts of the work before, were sur- 

 prised at the new power which those parts 

 iriiiii'd in being presented in their right con- 

 nection ; the wonderful unity and organic 

 development both of the drama and the music 

 were admitted and admired by all. Many who 

 came to cavil and condemn went away en- 

 thusiastic converts. The " Ring des Nibelun- 

 gon," in its true dramatic character, is a tril- 

 ogy, to which the first part, " Rheingold," 

 forms the prelude. Founded on several of the 

 ancient Germanic sagas, Wagner has devel- 

 oped the powerful dramatic character of his 

 work only by freely altering the connection 



and final bearing of some of the event*, while 

 at the same time preserving all the nmin epi- 

 _,!, . s in one instance even when the story ia 

 hideous to the modern sense. In the intro- 

 ductory part, u Kheingold, 1 ' are presented su- 

 pernatural beings only, the three warring 

 of Northern mythology, the gods, giants, and 

 dwarfs. Their jealous struggles, plots, and 

 counterplots for power form the motive of the 

 drama. The Rhine-gold, the emblem of earthly 

 power, rests in the depths of the tranquil 

 Rhine, faithfully guarded by the Rhine-Daugh- 

 ters, a beautiful race of mermaids. The dwarf 

 Alberich, a Nibelung, from the region of sub- 

 terranean gloom, robs them of the treasure 

 out of which he forges the ring of magic vir- 

 tue, the symbol of earthly power. The god 

 Wotan, or Odin, by crafty arts, masters the 

 dwarf in Nibelheim, and extorts from him the 





BAIREUTH, BAVARIA. 





wonder-working ring. This ring he must de- 

 liver to the giants Fasolt and Fafner, as a ran- 

 som for Freia, the goddess of love and beauty. 

 Fasolt is slain by Fafner, who, in the form of 

 a dragon, guards the talisman, whose curse 

 threatens destruction to the god unless it bo 

 rescued by a spotless mortal hero. In the sec- 

 ond part of the tetralogy, u Die Walkure," the 

 scene of action is transferred to the heroic 

 \\-orl :1 of the old Teutons. The dark legend 

 of Siegmund and Sieglinde, and the protection 

 of the erring hero against the wrath of Wotan 

 by the Walkure, Brunnhilde, afford poetical 

 and musical motives of the highest grandeur. 

 The fruit of the guilty union of the above- 

 named pair was Siegfried, the destined deliv- 

 erer of the ring. The third part, " Siegfried," 



forms the dramatic climax of the tetralogy. 

 The well-known legend is faithfully recounted : 

 the human interest is here stronger, the music 

 sweeter and richer. In the fourth drama, the 

 " Gotterdammerung," the legend of the " Ni- 

 belungenlied " is concluded : Hagen's treach- 

 erous plots, Siegfried's love for Outrun, and 

 victory over Brunnhilde, under the disguise of 

 Gunther, her suitor and Gutrun's brother, 

 and the final fall of Walhalla, afford material 

 of deep tragical moment, which fitly closes the 

 great work. In the "Ring des Nibelungen " 

 Wagner has completed the story which is only 

 partly told in the " Nibelungenlied," comuvt- 

 ing it with the sagas of the two Eddas, and 

 supplying the logically consequent and neces- 

 sary dramatic links. 



