thrilling the spectator to the marrow. The final word, ‘Schmach’ (‘this is the main point’, Wagner said) is the one to be emphasized. Bruennhilde is now overwhelmed by dread; while the bass clarinet delivers its recitative after her outcry, ‘O Siegfried! Siegfried! Sieh’ meine Angst!’: … she sinks to the ground, and bending forward rests her hands on her knees. It is then that she experiences a vision of her former life, ideally free and happy. The orchestral prelude that expresses this: … should be as pianissimo as possible and so transcendentally ideal that it should sound as though coming from another world.” [884W-{6-8/76} WRR, p. 111-113]
[885W-{6-8/76} WRR, p. 114]
[p. 114] “Very significant to my mind is Wagner’s remark that, at the words: ‘O Siegfried, leuchtender Spross! Liebe dich und lasse von mir, vernichte dein Eigen nicht!’, Bruennhilde must ignore the real Siegfried standing before her: ‘she has an ideal in her mind and sings as though she were addressing the whole world (singt wie in die Welt hinaus)’. Emotion must reach a pitch of terrifying violence at Siegfried’s vibrant outcry, ‘Dich lieb’ ich, O liebtest much du!’ And then the flood of his passion carries Bruennhilde away. During her speech, ‘Fasst dich mein Arm, umschling ich dich fest … ‘, he should not actually embrace her, but give the impression of wanting to and yet being restrained by inner timidity. ‘Here everything is symbolic’, Wagner said. (…) At the words, ‘Wie mein Arm dich presst, entbrennst du mir nicht?’ Bruennhilde now really seizes hold of Siegfried. At the beginning of their final, heroic hymn of praise the lovers should not be looking at each other: ‘they are addressing the whole world’. (…) {FEUER} The predominating element throughout should be the expression of a sublime joy. The effect should be that of a celebration of life – a celebration in the face of which death and destruction appear to have lost their power.” [885W-{6-8/76} WRR, p. 114]
[886W-{6-8/76} WRR, p. 117]
[P. 117] {FEUER} ”The performance of the Norns’ scene was characterized by a sense of grand objectivity. Here, where personified types, not individuals, are being portrayed, the basic expressive element must be one of sublime calm. The calm may be disturbed in places, but nothing should ever disrupt the continuously developing flow of melody and harmony. In this scene – the counterpart to that of the Rhinemaidens in that here it is the ‘dark side of nature’ that is being revealed – the fate motive, which is the tragic motive of Goetterdaemmerung, is often sounded … .” [886W-{6-8/76} WRR, p. 117]
[887W-{6-8/76} WRR, p. 119-120]
[P. 119] “We now enter a new world, pass from the boundless realms of nature into a settled, ordered society governed by strict laws of [P. 120] custom. This has a bearing upon both the performance of the music and the acting. (…) When Gunther angrily asks: ‘Was weckst du Zweifel und Zwist’ he rises from his seat and paces up and down the hall. As though by chance he approaches Hagen, who arrests his attention by a mysterious sign; at this moment the Magic Drink motive makes its first appearance, significantly preceded by a reminder of the Tarnhelm motive: … .” [887W-{6-8/76} WRR, p. 119-120]
