Neidhoehle [“Envy-Cave”] have I come by night: who do I see in the darkness there?
(Moonlight streams in, as if through a sudden gap in the clouds, lighting up the Wanderer’s form. #20a: Alberich recognizes the Wanderer and initially starts up in surprise, before breaking out in utter fury at him.)
Alberich: You let yourself be seen here? – What is it that you want here? (#?: [perhaps foreshadowing of music heard in T.2.5 during Bruennhilde’s, Hagen’s, and Gunther’s oaths of vengeance against Siegfried, in which they invoke Wotan?]) Be off, on your way! Get you hence, you shameless thief (:#?)!
Wanderer: (calmly: #?: [possibly Liszt’s “Faust Symphony” theme as heard during Sieglinde’s nightmare in V.2.5?]) Black-Alberich, are you roving here? (#167 embryo?: [or possible hint of other music associated with Alberich telling Hagen that Siegfried must die in T.2.1?]) Are you guarding Fafner’s lair (:#?; :#167 hint?)?
Alberich: (#?: [Dunning: not #7, but music based on the harmonic progression heard during the debate between Alberich and Wotan over who ought to possess the ring in R.4?]) Are you out pursuing new deeds of spite [“Neidthat”]? Don’t linger here! Betake yourself hence (:#?). Enough deceit has steeped this spot in suffering [“Genug des Truges traenkte die Staette mit Noth”] (#7?:) and so, brazen god [“du Frecher” – Spencer’s mistranslation here misrepresents Alberich’s innocuous description of Wotan as something like an impudent or brazen scoundrel: he does not call him a god], let the place alone [“lass’ sie jetzt frei!”] (:#7?)! (#21?)
Wanderer: (#112:) I came to watch (:#112) (#113?:) and not to act: (#113:) who’d bar the Wanderer’s way (:#113)?
Wotan’s arrival is not only accompanied by #83, the motif to which he confessed to Bruennhilde his need for a free hero who could, unlike Wotan, regain possession of Alberich’s ring from Fafner, but he is also accompanied by #99, the transcendently beautiful melody to which he sung his goodbyes to Bruennhilde in V.3.3, leaving her asleep for Siegfried to wake and win for his wife. As the Wanderer is suddenly lit up by moonlight, and we hear the first segment of the Valhalla Motif #20a, Alberich instantly recognizes the Wanderer as Wotan. It is curious that Mime did not at first recognize Wotan in his disguise as the Wanderer, whereas Alberich recognizes Wotan immediately
