The Valkyrie: Act Two, Scene One - A mountain pass: Wotan, Bruennhilde, and Fricka
[V.2.1: A]
We will now be reintroduced to the Valhallan God Wotan and his wife Fricka, but most importantly of all, meet for the first time the product of Wotan’s sexual union with Erda (Mother Nature), Bruennhilde, a character of supreme importance to the Ring drama, as Wotan encourages her to protect Siegmund in his coming duel of honor with Hunding:
(Prelude: #57; #40; [[ #77: ]] A wild and rocky mountain landscape. At the back of the stage a gorge runs from below to a high ridge of rocks, from which the ground slopes down again towards the front of the stage. Wotan, armed for battle, with his spear; before him Bruennhilde, as a Valkyrie, likewise fully armed) (…)
Wotan: A furious fight (#21 or #60 frag?) will soon flare up: (#21 or #60 frag?) let Bruennhilde fly to the fray; (#21 or #60 frag?) for the Waelsung let her choose victory! (#21 or #60 frag?) Hunding may choose to whom he belongs: he’s no use to me in Valhalla. (#21 or #60 frag?) (…)
Bruennhilde: (shouting exultantly as she leaps from rock to rock up to the heights on the left: #77; [[ #78 voc:]] Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! Heiaha! Heiaha! Hahei! Hahei! Heiaho (:#78)! (She pauses on a high peak, looks down into the gorge at the rear of the stage and calls back to Wotan.) I warn you, father, forearm yourself; a violent storm you’ll have to weather: Fricka, your wife, draws near in a chariot drawn by a team of rams. (#5:) Ha! How she whirls (#5:; #?: [a #41-like vari on cellos without its rhythm, reminiscent of Alberich whipping the nibelungs?]) the golden whip; the pitiful beasts are bleating with fear (:#5); the wheels are rattling wildly: wrathful, she fares to the fray. [Bruennhilde says this isn’t her kind of battle, etc.] #77?: Then see how you weather the storm! I’ll happily leave you to it! [Bruennhilde leaves, singing #78]
(#5 vari; #41 duple?: Fricka arrives on the mountain ridge from the gorge in a chariot drawn by two rams: here she stops abruptly and climbs out. she strides impetuously towards Wotan, who is standing at the front of the stage)
