What began as the conception of a single opera entitled Siegfrieds Tod (“Siegfried’s Death”) became in time Wagner’s expansive tetralogy on the Norse myth of a magic ring of power entitled Der Ring des Nibelungen. Work on the opera stretched over nearly three decades, though was interrupted while Wagner composed Tristan und Isolde and Der Meistersinger von Nürnberg.Der Ring also reflected and grew with Wagner’s changing perception of opera and drama. In his 1851 essay, “A Communication to My Friends,” Wagner made the first reference to the planned tetralogy and to their conception as “dramas” as opposed to “operas.” As Wagner sketched the operas, he further wrote “Opera and Drama” and “The Artwork of the Future,” which outlined the radical changes that would be made use of in Der Ring, including the elimination of standard arias and choruses, and Wagner’s signature leitmotif technique. Over the course of four nights in August 1876, nearly three decades after Wagner began his dramatic telling of the myth, the complete Ring cycle was premiered in Bayreuth.
The second opera of the cycle is Die Walküre (“The Valkyrie”) but was actually the third in order of composition. Work on the opera’s libretto began in 1852 and a fair copy was completed by the end of that year. However, even before the text was complete, Wagner had already begun sketching some of its musical ideas, most famously, perhaps, the melody of “Ride of the Valkyries” was notated on a loose sheet of paper on July 23, 1851. Further work on the opera, however, proceeded with some difficulty. Wagner skipped his usual step of producing an orchestral “sketch” before writing out the fully orchestrated score. Interruptions, including a four-month trip to London, plagued this portion of his creative process. He soon found himself forgetting some of the details he had worked out in his mind, and was forced to recompose passages. Nevertheless, Wagner completed the orchestration of Die Walküre in May of 1856.
Wagner had initially planned of premiering all four operas at once. As early as his “Communication,” Wagner expressed his desire of a special festival at which to premiere the completed cycle. However, at the urging of his patron King Ludwig, Die Walküre, as well as the first opera Das Rheingold, were given special “preview” performances in 1869 and 1870, respectively, at the National Theatre of Munich. Joseph DuBose
Classical Music | Tenor
Richard Wagner
Die Walküre, excerpt Play
Recorded on 12/31/1969, uploaded on 05/20/2013
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
What began as the conception of a single opera entitled Siegfrieds Tod (“Siegfried’s Death”) became in time Wagner’s expansive tetralogy on the Norse myth of a magic ring of power entitled Der Ring des Nibelungen. Work on the opera stretched over nearly three decades, though was interrupted while Wagner composed Tristan und Isolde and Der Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Der Ring also reflected and grew with Wagner’s changing perception of opera and drama. In his 1851 essay, “A Communication to My Friends,” Wagner made the first reference to the planned tetralogy and to their conception as “dramas” as opposed to “operas.” As Wagner sketched the operas, he further wrote “Opera and Drama” and “The Artwork of the Future,” which outlined the radical changes that would be made use of in Der Ring, including the elimination of standard arias and choruses, and Wagner’s signature leitmotif technique. Over the course of four nights in August 1876, nearly three decades after Wagner began his dramatic telling of the myth, the complete Ring cycle was premiered in Bayreuth.
The second opera of the cycle is Die Walküre (“The Valkyrie”) but was actually the third in order of composition. Work on the opera’s libretto began in 1852 and a fair copy was completed by the end of that year. However, even before the text was complete, Wagner had already begun sketching some of its musical ideas, most famously, perhaps, the melody of “Ride of the Valkyries” was notated on a loose sheet of paper on July 23, 1851. Further work on the opera, however, proceeded with some difficulty. Wagner skipped his usual step of producing an orchestral “sketch” before writing out the fully orchestrated score. Interruptions, including a four-month trip to London, plagued this portion of his creative process. He soon found himself forgetting some of the details he had worked out in his mind, and was forced to recompose passages. Nevertheless, Wagner completed the orchestration of Die Walküre in May of 1856.
Wagner had initially planned of premiering all four operas at once. As early as his “Communication,” Wagner expressed his desire of a special festival at which to premiere the completed cycle. However, at the urging of his patron King Ludwig, Die Walküre, as well as the first opera Das Rheingold, were given special “preview” performances in 1869 and 1870, respectively, at the National Theatre of Munich. Joseph DuBose
Recording made in Vienna in 1935
courtesy of YouTube
More music by Richard Wagner
Albumblatt
Tristan und Isolde - Mild und leise wie er lachelt (Liebestod)
Ride of the Walküre, from Die Walküre
Liebestod, from Act III, Tristan und Isolde
Ride of the Walküre, from Die Walküre
The Flying Dutchman (Overture)
Ein Albumblatt für das Klavier
Der Engel, from Wesendonck-Lieder
Liebestod, from Tristan und Isolde
Stehe still!, from Wesendonck-Lieder
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