Rhine Daughters
After the prelude to Das Rheingold the first character we hear is Woglinde, one of the three Rhine Daughters. Woglinde’s song will become the Rhine Daughters Motive and a reference these characters. The first five notes of the motive is based on an Ab pentatonic scale that begins on the 6th. At the end of her song the syllable ‘wei_’ is sounded with a sustained F (the 6th ) that falls a whole step to an Eb of a shorter duration on ‘_a’. Most of the motives discussed in this chapter have some relation to this 6th. Millington identifies this two note fragment as a musical motive and compares it with another motive of only two notes associated with the word ‘Wehe’ or woe. However, as will be discussed in the chapter titled Woe, the falling interval of the “Woe Motive” is not just a diminished form of the 6th as represented by Woglinde’s ‘weia’. Here is the Rhine Daughters Motive as it first appears in the score. Note the accompaniment played by the violins and violas is arpeggios reminiscent of the flowing variation on the basic Nature Motive.
The next music that is introduced by the Rhine Daughters is their joyful cry of “Heia Jaheia” and it seems to be inspired in them by the Rhinegold itself. This association between the Rhine Daughters , their cry of “Heia Jaheia”, and the Rhinegold will be developed both musically and dramatically by Wagner. Note that the string accompaniment is a variation on the Shimmering Motive (see Representations chapter). Also note the lilting or syncopated melody of the first four notes of the “Heia Jaheia” Motive. It will recur later in a transformed version, just as the gold itself will be transformed into something quite different.
The syncopation of the Heia Jaheia Motive is related to another theme associated with the Rhine Daughters. This theme is associated with their expression of how the Rhinegold illuminates the river and fills them with joy. Note how this theme is accompanied by the scale form of the Nature in Motion Motive. Beginning with Das Rheingold’s prelude and continuing with the motives just demonstrated one can document that Wagner was combining his motives long before the composition of Götterdämmerung (see Combinations chapter).
The next theme introduced by the Rhine Daughter is important in that it has several derivative motives as will be demonstrated. Cooke labels this music the motive of the Rhine Daughters’ “Joy in the Gold”. This Rhinegold Joy Motive is musically characterized by a long note followed by a shorter note one interval lower. As mentioned earlier, Millington sees the derivation of this motive as coming from the last two notes of Woglinde’s song that was given at the beginning of this chapter. However, the melody of the top note ‘A’ for the syllable ‘Rhein_’ is not a musical 6th , as was the note for ‘Wei_’, but the 9th of a G major chord (the dominant) that resolves back to a ‘G’ in a C major chord. Wagner’s uses 9th chords in several other important motives throughout the Ring. This usage will be amplified further in later chapters. Here is the motive of the “Rhine Daughters’ Joy in the Gold” as it appears in the score.
In one of his later writings Wagner suggested that insight into his method of thematic transformation could be gained by tracing the changes in the Rhinegold Joy Motive throughout the four part drama of the Ring. In his book on Wagner, Millington attempts this. In his analysis he includes most of the motives based on the “Wehe” or Woe Motive which he relates as a diminished 6th . Although the dramatic relationship between the opposites of Joy and Woe can be easily understood, and although their motives have a rhythmic similarity, this author will contend that the Woe Motive, when taken in musical context, has a different origin and therefore warrants exclusion from a solution to Wagner’s challenge. Accordingly the following examples of transformations of the Rhinegold Joy Motive are different from Millington’s.
The first transformation of the Rhine Daughters’ joyful “Rheingold! Rheingold!” occurs as Loge tells Wotan of their complaint and the theft of their gold. The English Horn’s melody falls a half tone while the harmony changes from a C diminished 7th chord to a C# minor chord over a sustained E bass by the cellos. Note that the rhythmic melody sung by Loge hints at a theme that is to become associated with the Nibelungs.
Music-Rhine Daughters' Complaint
Wagner’s second transformation of the motive appears in Scene 3 of Das Rheingold when Alberich demonstrates the power of his ring over his fellow Nibelungs. The harmony is a G diminished 7th chord that resolves to a major chord (Gb) instead of a minor chord as in the above example.
Within this Power of the Ring Motive a
second musical transformation has taken place.
Beginning in the fourth measure the tubas play the music related to the
Rhine Daughters’ cry of “Heia
Jaheia”. The tempo slows and
rhythm of that melody is altered, but more importantly the harmony that begins
the fourth measure, an inverted Bb minor 6th chord, is the central
harmony of the Ring Motive itself (see Ring chapter).
Wagner reinforces the dramatic transformation of the Rhinegold into the
Ring with this harmonic transformation of two motives that are associated with
the gold’s natural state.
Wagner’s next transformation of “Rheingold! Rheingold!” involves changing only one note of the Rhine Daughters’ trio. Although Woglinde sings an ‘F’ which is the same note of her opening song, the trio’s harmony is determined by Wellgunde’s note. Instead of the expected 7th (Db) Wellgunde sings an augmented 5th (B natural). This Eb augmented 5th plus 9th harmony produces a dissonance that not only needs to be resolved musically but also resolved dramatically. The closing melody of their song, usually labeled the “Rhine Daughters’ Lament”, in which they beg for the gold to be returned to them, also functions as a motive of “reminiscence” during the orchestral interlude between the Prologue and Act I of Götterdämmerung.
In Götterdämmerung there is an additional transformation of the harmony of the Rhinegold Joy Motive. The theme is made of a broken chord formed from the notes of the Ring Motive. It recurs several times in different keys and with different orchestration. This example occurs near the beginning of Hagen’s Watch in Act I – Scene 2.
Music-Götterdämmerung Rheingold
Among the occurrences of this transformed Rhinegold Joy Motive in Götterdämmerung two are worth pointing out because of their dramatic importance. In Act I – Scene 3 during Waltraute’s narrative this form of the theme becomes associated with the message to be brought by Wotan’s ravens. In Siegfried Wotan’s ravens were associated with the Woe Motive (see Woe chapter), but in Götterdämmerung the actual tidings of woe use this theme.
In Act II – Scene 4 of Götterdämmerung when Brunnhilde cries out at the betrayal of her love by Siegfried, the harmony of this transformed Rhinegold Joy Motive is almost identical to that from Hagen’s Watch. But Wagner’s orchestration, the sharp rhythm associated with Hagen (see Gibichungs chapter), and the falling 7th of two octaves to the Eb bass give this motive a gut wrenching quality.
There are additional motives that seem to have a strong musical relationship to the descending pentatonic scale and emphasized major 6th of Woglinde’s opening song. If there is a dramatic relationship between these motives it is probably based on the emotion of joy or in German “lust”. In Siegfried Act II – Scene 2 we are introduced to the music of the Woodbird. At its first appearance the oboe and then the clarinet play its song.
After Siegfried has slain Fafner and the dragon’s blood gives him the ability to understand the bird she gives advice and counsel to the hero. There is another Woodbird theme in Act II – Scene 3 of Siegfried (see Representations chapter).
A second example of a motive constructed with an emphasis on a major 6th and a descending pentatonic scale has been given different names but is usually labeled the Heroic Love Motive or “Love’s Gifts”. This is because when it appears in Scene 2 of the prologue to Götterdämmerung, Brunnhilde and Siegfried are declaring their love and exchanging Siegfried’s ring and Brunnhilde’s horse Grane. The motive is first played by the oboe and then repeated by the violins with a slight variation. The third note of the motive, the ‘G’, is a major 6th for the harmony of the underlying Bb major. In the descending notes, the ‘C’ of the pentatonic scale is absent. Certainly one can argue that this music has a joyful quality to it.
Music-Love's Gifts/Heroic Love
In Act III – Scene 1 of Götterdämmerung the Rhine Daughters themselves sing a melody that begins with an emphasis on the major 6th . However, in contrast the scale is ascending and diatonic.
In Götterdämmerung Act II – Scene 2 each of these motives are heard in succession and are paired for contrast. In this example Siegfried states that since hearing the singing of women , the lovely Rhine Daughters, he has forgotten the speech of birds. It may be that the flute’s reference to the Woodbird’s song is a reminder of its prior warning to Siegfried about treachery. If it is a warning about Hagen, Siegfried seems to have lost his comprehension or is not receptive.
Music-Women's Song or Bird's Song
If one accepts the thesis that the 6th is emotionally linked to a concept of joy and/or natural innocence, then it is possible to understand the inclusion of this final motive within this chapter. The theme is heard in Siegfried Act III – Scene 1 during Wotan’s final dialogue with Erda, when Wotan explains to Erda how he willingly and joyfully will yield his dominion to Siegfried and Brunnhilde. This Bequest Motive has an Ab major harmony similar to Woglinde’s song at the beginning of Das Rheingold. In the second measure the cellos and the trombone introduce an F into the harmony, which gives more of an Ab6 sound to it - the alternative analysis which would be for F minor harmony.
