while he could not produce a free hero, Alberich had succeeded in producing such a hero. This is the destiny Hagen now contemplates.
[T.1.2: I]
Now we proceed to the purely orchestral interlude which is Wagner’s contemplative transition between T.1.2 and T.1.3, in which we’ll see Bruennhilde meditating happily on Siegfried and on the Ring he gave her:
Interlude: (A curtain downstage of the hall is closed, cutting off the stage from the audience: #161; #151; #19; #103a repeats [as in Siegfried’s arrival by boat at Gibichung hall in T.1.2]; #151?; #19?; #92; #21; #19?; #103a?; #151; #19; #92?; #21?; #103a; #162ab; #19; #45a or #161a?; #162b?; #45a or #161a?; #162b/#19?; #161; #45a or #161a?; #156 vari; #45a or #161a?; #149; #149 [out of which a clarinet plays #140 vari]; #51; #149?; #51?)
It is particularly in this purely musical interlude, following Hagen’s Watch, that we experience Wagner’s art of transition at its full mastery. The sequence of motifs in play are recorded in detail above, and also in my following chapter T.1.3.1, so I will only discuss motival recurrences of special interest. #92, Siegfried’s personal motif representing the fearless hero, is again paired with Wotan’s Spear Motif #21, as in Siegfried’s and Gunther’s bloodbrotherhood oath. The transition from the motival material evoking Hagen’s meditation, to the motival material calling up the image of Bruennhilde contemplating her love for Siegfried - embodied by his Ring - is heard with the sounding of Bruennhilde’s Muse of Inspiration Motif #149, which is followed by a #140 variant on clarinet reminding us of the first greetings Siegfried and Bruennhilde gave each other after he’d woken her in S.3.3. But then, ominously, we hear the Curse Motif, #51. We will pick up our discussion of this musical interlude where I leave off here, in T.1.3.1, which follows.
