Info

Home Page / About Wagnerheim
Introduction by Roger Scruton
About the Author
Interactive Features
Wagner Lecture Videos
Wagner Lecture / Papers Transcript
Links
Contact Us
Discussion Forum

Table of Contents

Title Page
Dedication Page
General Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations for key references
Guide to abbreviations used in text
Allen Dunning's numbered Guide to the Ring's Musical Motifs
Detailed Table of Contents

The Ring

Introduction


References
Appendix I
Appendix I I

Key Colour Coding

Donations Welcome

I would be grateful for donations of any size, small or large, to help defray the cost (1) of maintaining this website, (2) and to finance my past and present research which produced my book posted here, Volume One of "The Wound That Will Never Heal," and my forthcoming revision of Volume One (to be submitted for publication), and completion of Volume Two on Wagner's six other canonic operas and music-dramas. I sacrificed at least seven years of paid employment and incurred debts to complete this project, and am currently unemployed, so I thank you in advance for any financial help you can provide. Your friend, Paul Heise.

Alberich: (with mocking laughter: #7 [as heard in S.2.1 expressing Alberich’s rage at Wotan’s appearance at Neidhoelle?]) I? Share with you? And the Tarnhelm, too? How sly you are! I’d never sleep safe from you snares!

 

Mime: (beside himself: [[ #130>> ]] Not even exchange it? And not share either? (#130 >>) I’m to go empty-handed, quite unrewarded? (screeching) will you leave me nothing?

 

Alberich: (#45) Nothing at all, not even a nail shall you take from me!

 

Mime: (in utmost fury: [[ #130>> ]] Neither Ring nor Tarnhelm shall profit you aught. I’ll share no more, but Siegfried and his warrior’s sword I’ll call on to help me against you: the swift-footed hero will sort you out, dear brother!”

 

[[#131]] “Mime’s False Friendship”

After killing Fafner, Siegfried, by virtue of sucking Fafner’s burning blood off his fingers, is suddenly able to grasp the meaning of the Woodbird’s song, who tells him that Mime, though seeming to proffer friendship, will betray his true, treacherous intent in his speech. Siegfried can discern ulterior, egoistic intent behind Mime’s façade of selflessness and friendship, thanks to Siegfried’s unique entre to the unconscious programme which inspires musical creation. As the heir to Alberich’s and Wotan’s hoard of knowledge (the first thing the Woodbird mentioned to Siegfried), Siegfried has access to Wotan’s repressed thought, which Wotan found so loathsome that he couldn’t bear to speak them aloud (i.e., to be conscious of them). Mime embodies those loathsome thoughts.

(#131’s motival links, if any, not yet ascertained: however, I speculate that some of the melody and rhythm of #131 and associated music during this scene influences the dramatically similar scene in T.1.2 when the Gibichungs Hagen, Gunther, and Gutrune give a falsely friendly welcome to Siegfried, and Gutrune, unlike Mime, successfully persuades Siegfried to drink a potion Hagen has prepared, whose purpose is to exploit Siegfried to do what the Gibichungs Gunther and Gutrune cannot do for themselves, and whose consequence will be Siegfried’s death.)

“(#11: Silence. Once again Siegfried becomes involuntarily aware of the bird.)

Voice of the Woodbird: (#129ab/#11) Hey! Siegfried now owns the helm and the Ring! Oh let him not trust the treacherous Mime! Were Siegfried to listen to the rogue’s hypocritical words, (#128b or #98?) he’d be able to understand what Mime means in his heart; thus the taste of the blood was of use to him.