Giants
The motives discussed in this chapter are typically described as representing characters and little more is said of them. Yet even these allegedly simple character themes demonstrate musical inter relationships and the attention to subtle details shared by Wagner’s other leitmotivs. The music associated with the Giants is introduced in Scene 2 of Das Rheingold with a foreshadowing of two components. The major component is the syncopated rhythm of three notes by the cellos, as shown at its first brief appearance during the dialogue between Fricka and Wotan in the opening moments of Scene 2. This rhythm component is proceeded by three rapid grace notes that are a secondary component that Wagner will use again after it has become dramatically associated with the coarse giants.
The full Giants Motive is heard when Fasolt and Fafner make their entrance in Scene 2. To the two components above, a third component is added. In between repetitions of the rhythmical phrase noted above and played by the low strings, the trombones answer with two forcefully stated notes from the dominant to the tonic. This combination of the grace notes, the three note rhythm, and the accented notes completes the Giants Motive.
Beginning on the third beat of the second measure in the example given above and proceeding through the next five notes of the third measure is a secondary theme of the Giants’ music. Wagner uses the phrase near the end of the Scene 2 when Fafner roughly slings Freia over his shoulder and hurries away with her. As Loge describes the off stage action for the audience, the low strings play the six note phrase and the bassoon and bass clarinet echo the string’s notes on the off beats to suggesting the lurching gait of the giants.
In Die Walküre the audience is informed that after Fafner slew his brother Fasolt, he took up residence deep in a wild forest and transformed himself into a giant dragon to guard his treasures. The underlying musical concept associated with that transformation will be discussed in more detail later (see Loge chapter), but in the prologue to Act II of Siegfried the Giants Motive itself is transformed into a sinister accompaniment beneath the Dragon Motive on solo tuba in the example below. The three grace notes have been expanded into four sixty-fourth notes played by the contrabasses while the tympani plays the primary rhythm previous associated with the giants. However the most important musical transformation that gives the accompaniment its new character is the change of the two accented notes . The dominant has been lowered one half step to F# (diminished 5th / augmented 4th) to produce the desired evil harmonic. This is the same falling interval that was played by the bass clarinet at the end of the Ring Motive and is a subtle musical reference to its influence. This use of the diminished 5th / augmented 4th will be heard again in Götterdämmerung in the music associated with Hagen (see Gibichungs chapter).
There are two more variations on the Giants Motive that occur in Act II - Scene 2. The first is heard on the tympani as Mime describes how the Dragon’s tail could crush Siegfried in its coils. After the bassoon and bass clarinet play a chromatic theme that will be heard again during the actual battle between the youth and the Dragon, the tympani plays a series of notes alternating between the tonic and the diminished 5th that will recur during the actual fight.
The second variation is heard on the cellos and contra basses after Siegfried has stabbed the beast in his heart and Fafner questions the youth. Note the tympani’s rhythm while the violins and violas play a rhythmic accompaniment suggestive of the Malice Motive (see Ring chapter). Again we have the three grace notes and diminished 5th interval skip between D and Ab at the end of the phrase.
In Die Walküre the harsh grace notes that preceeded the Giants Motive are used to suggest a musical analogy between the giants and Hunding. Just before Hunding makes his appearance the violas introduce a foreshadowed version of his motive.
When the definitive Hunding Motive is heard on the tubas the three grace notes are similarly expanded into four 32nd notes and their position is changed to make a harsh intervening statement, described by some as a “snarl in the orchestra”, between the accentuated brass chords.
Another similarity between Hunding’s music and that of the Giants is that, just as the giants music had a characteristic rhythmic component associated with their motive, Hunding’s Motive has its characteristic rhythm. The rhythm occurs several times in the first two acts of Die Walküre, but eventually it becomes associated with Hunding’s horn.. Sieglinde makes dramatic reference to it , but it is musically represented when it is played on a ‘steer horn’ that Wagner specially commissioned for the Ring.
