Plácido Domingo and Adrienne Pieczonka as Siegmund and Sieglinde at the Met, April 2009by KenThis week I want to finish up with my contention that that extraordinary depth of pain we hear coming out of Wotan, first in Act II of Die Walküre and then, of course, in the his final farewell to his cherished daughter Brünnhhilde at the end of the opera, is tempered by our knowledge that most of this pain is self-inflicted.Last time we listened to the whole of Act I of the Walküre, the second opera (but properly speaking "First Day") of Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung tetralogy. In preparation for Sunday's installment, we're going to back to the end of Act I, and pick up after Sieglinde, having heard her mysterious guest's woeful life story, has drugged her husband Hunding and returned to share some of her background. Suddenly the door of Hunding's house blew open, and Sieglinde has asked who left.This is of course one of the supreme scenes in the musical literature. We're going to start with the Melchior-Lehmann performance we already heard as part of the complete Act I recorded by EMI in Vienna in 1935 under the baton of Bruno Walter, but then we're going to hear an earlier Melchior recording -- unfortunately acoustical -- with the great Brünnhilde and Isolde Frida Leider as Sieglinde. Then we hear Jon Vickers, who I think it's safe to say has been the most successful of the post-Melchior Siegmunds, in the Karajan recording with the surprising choice of the lyric soprano Gundula Janowitz as Sieglinde (I happen to enjoy her performance a lot), and finally we have the sturdy Siegmund of Sieglinde coupled with the vocally strongest Sieglinde at least since Leonie Rysanek.WAGNER: Die Walküre: Act I, Siegmund, "Keiner ging, doch einer kam" . . . "Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond" . . ."Du bist der Lenz" to end of act
The door remains open. It is a glorious spring night, and moonlight streams into the room.SIEGMUND [in leiser Entzückung]: Nobody went,but someone came;look, the springsmiles into the room.[SIEGMUND, with tender force, draws SIEGLINDE to him on the couch, so that she sits beside him. The moon shines more and more brightly.]Wintry storms have vanishedbefore Maytime;in a gentle lightspringtime shines out.On balmy breezeslight and lovelyit weavesmiracles as it wafts.Through woods and meadowsits breath blows,wide openits eyes are smiling.Lovely birdsongsweetly proclaims it.Blissful scentsexhale its presence.Marvellous flowerssprout from its hot blood,buds and shootsgrow from its strenght.With an armoury of delicate charmit conquers the world.Winter and storms vanishbefore their stout defence.At these bold blows, of course,the stout doors yelded too,for stubborn and hardthey kept us from the spring.To its sister hereit flew.Love decoyed the spring.In our heartsit was hidden deep;now it smiles joyfully at the light.The sister as brideis freed by her brother.In ruins liesall that kept them apart.Joyfully the young couplegreet one another.Love and Spring are united.SIEGLINDE: You are the springfor which I longedin the frosty winter time.My heart greeted youwith holy terrorwhen first your glance lighted upon me.I had only ever seen strangers;my surroundings were friendless.As if I had never known itwas everything that befell me.But you I recognizedplain and clear;when my eyes saw you,you belonged to me.What I hid in my heart,what I am,bright as dayit come to me,like a resounding echoit fell upon my ear,when in frosty loney strangenessI saw my friend.[She clings rapturously to SIEGMUND.]SIEGMUND [carried away]: O sweetest bliss,most blessed woman!SIEGLINDE: O let me comeclose up to youand clearly seethe noble lightthet shines in your eyesand from your face,and sweetly grips my senses.SIEGMUND: In the spring moonlightyou shine brightly,nobly haloedwith waving hair:what enchanted meI can easly guess,for rapturously my eyes gloat on you.SIEGLINDE [pushing back the hair from his brow]: Look how your foreheadbroadens out,and the network of veinswinds into your temples.I tremble with the delightthat enchants me.It brings something strange to my mind:though I first saw you today,I've set eyes on you before.SIEGMUND: A dream of lovecomes to my mind as well:burning with longingI have seen you before.SIEGLINDE: In the stream I've seenmy own likeness;and now I see it again.As once it appeared in the waterso now you show me my likeness.SIEGMUND: You are the likenessthat I hid in myself.SIEGLINDE: Hush! let melisten to your voice.Its sound, I fancy,I heard as a child,but no! I heard it recently -when the echo of my voicesounded back through the forest.SIEGMUND: O loveliest soundfor me to hear!SIEGLINDE [gazing rapturously in his eyes]: The fire in your eyeshas blazed at me before.So the old man gazedat me in greetingwhen to my sadness he brought comfort.By his lookhis child recognized him,I even wanted to call him by name.Are you really called Woeful?SIEGMUND: I am not calledthat since you love me:Now I am full of purest rapture.SIEGLINDE: And "Peaceful" may you not,being happy, be named?SIEGMUND: Name mewhat you love to call me.I take my name from you.SIEGLINDE: But did you name Wolf as your father?SIEGMUND: A Wolf he was to cavern foxes!But he whose proudeyes shoneas grandly as yours, you marvel,his name was "Volsa."SIEGLINDE [beside herself]: If "Volsa" was your fatherand you are a "Volsung,"it was for you he thrusthis sword in the tree -so let me call youby the name I love:Siegmund -so I name you.SIEGMUND [springin up and seizing the hilt of his sword]: Siegmund I am calledand Siegmund I am,let this sword,which I fearlessly hold, bear witness.Volsa promised methat in deepest distressI should one day find it.Now I grasp it.Holiest love'sdeepest distress,yearning love'sscorching desire,burn bright in my breast,urge me to deeds and death."Needy", "Needy",I name you, sword."Needy", "Needy",percious blade,show your sharpnessand cutting edge:come from your scabbard to me![With a mighty effort he draws the sword from the tree and shows it to the amazed and enraptured SIEGLINDE.]You see Siegmund,the Volsung, woman!As wedding gifthe brings this sword;so he wedsthe fairest of women;he takes you awayfrom the enemy's house.[embrading her to draw her away]Now follow mefar from here,out into springingtime'ssmiling house.For protection you'll have "Needy" the sword,even if Siegmund expires with love.SIEGLINDE: Are you Siegmundwhom I see here?[Tearing herself free]I am Sieglindewho longed for you:your own sisteryou have won and the sword as well.SIEGMUND [as she flings herself into his arms]: Wife and sisteryou'll be to your brother.So let the Volsung blood increase.[He holds her to him with passionate fervor. The curtain falls quickly.]
Lauritz Melchior (t), Siegmund; Lotte Lehmann (s), Sieglinde; Vienna Philharmonic, Bruno Walter, cond. EMI, recorded June 20-22, 1935[from "Winterstürme"] Lauritz Melchior (t), Siegmund; Frida Leider (s), Sieglinde; Paul Breisach, cond. ("Winterstürme"). Parlophone-Polydor, recorded Dec. 3, 1924 ("Winterstürme") and November 1923 (Leider sides)Jon Vickers (t), Siegmund; Gundula Janowitz (s), Sieglinde; Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, cond. DG, recorded Aug., Sept., and Dec. 1966Siegfried Jerusalem (t), Siegmund; Jessye Norman (s), Sieglinde; Staatskapelle Dresden, Marek Janowski, cond. Eurodisc, recorded Aug. 22-29, 1981IN THIS WEEK'S SUNDAY CLASSICS POSTThe case against Wotan.#