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.

[[#161]] “Hagen’s Watch Motif” – By giving his muse Bruennhilde and her secrets away to his audience (Gunther), Siegfried unwittingly fulfills Alberich's prophecy that Wotan's heroes will serve him, by bringing Alberich's hoard of knowledge (embodied by the Ring) up from the silent depths to the light of day

(#161 is based directly on #45, which is essentially a variation of #5ab with #19’s harmony, via intermediate transformations of #5ab such as #15 and #13, and #41)

[[#162ab]] Hagen’s envy of those who enjoy the subjective, heartfelt consolations of illusion in religion, art, and love, and intent to venge himself upon them for co-opting his father Alberich’s Ring power without paying its price

(#162ab’s motival links, if any, not yet ascertained; but Dunning detects #37’s influence.)

[[#163]] Bruennhilde’s query of Waltraute: Perhaps Wotan relented in his intent to punish Bruennhilde, because his punishment (leaving her to be woken solely by a fearless hero) has become her blessing, since she has won Siegfried’s love

(#163’s motival links, if any, not yet ascertained; but I speculate it may owe something to music which accompanied #99 in V.3.3, when Bruennhilde had finally persuaded Wotan to protect her vulnerable sleep with a ring of protective fire so she would be woken by, and wed to, only a fearless hero (in the event, Siegfried), and he became, one last time, tender towards her as he reminisced about the past, and contemplated the anguish of never seeing her again, while leaving a freer man than himself heir to Bruennhilde)

[[#164]] Bruennhilde’s loving union with Siegfried, which Wotan hoped would redeem gods and world from Alberich's Ring-curse, Bruennhilde comes to see as the most sadistic refinement of Wotan's punishment (and of Alberich's curse)

(#164 is the last entry in a series of motif transformations, first described by Cooke, which started with #21. #21 transformed into #81A, #81A into #81B [Representing Wotan’s intent to punish Bruennhilde before Bruennhilde persuaded him to allow only Siegfried to wake and win her], #81A into #96ab, #96ab into #137 [Siegfried’s