Nibelungs
There are other Nibelungs besides Alberich, and accordingly there are other themes besides Alberich’s. This chapter will discuss those themes and their dramatic associations. As with other motives there is music in Scene 1 of Das Rheingold that foreshadows these leitmotivs. One of the main Nibelung themes has a characteristic three note rhythm which consists of a dotted eighth, sixteenth, and an eighth. Wellgunde introduces it when she rejects Alberich and derides his dwarf’s appearance. The rhythm is emphasized again when Flosshilde takes her turn at mocking Alberich. In the second and third measures of this example the dotted eighth note rhythm is applied to a four note phrase that is repeated as it descends down a scale. These two musical components will be incorporated into the definitive motives that will follow.
Music-Flosshilde Mocks Alberich
There is another use of this rhythm with music that Cooke identified as an example of how Wagner can use a leitmotiv in association with an emotion. It too is introduced in Scene 1 of Das Rheingold, and the emotion that seems associated with it is Alberich’s anger and frustration when he is unable to catch any of the Rhine Daughters. The music is heard as a series of chords played by the woodwinds in their upper register. Note the dotted eighth rhythm. At the end of the second measure the strings play a rapid descending scale that seems to suggests Alberich slipping and falling. This theme recurs just before Alberich declares his intention to take the Rhinegold. A shortened form is sometimes called the Nibelung Anger Motive (see Motives Chapter).
Although Wagner doesn’t actually repeat the above music beyond Scene 1, its general timbre on the woodwinds does recur in Siegfried and perhaps bears some emotional relationship to it. This example is heard in Siegfried Act II – Scene 3 as Mime and Alberich angrily argue back and forth about sharing the spoils after Fafner’s death.
The definitive theme that takes the label of the Nibelung Motive makes its appearance during the transition music between Scene 2 and Scene 3 of Das Rheingold, as Wotan and Loge descend beneath the surface to Nibelheim. But before this happens Loge sings a brief phrase that foreshadows the motive’s melody and characteristic rhythm when he tells Wotan of the Rhine Daughter’s complaint against Alberich. Notice how the principal theme at this point on the English horn and bassoon is that of the Rheingold Motive proper, albeit with a different harmonization.
Music-Rhine Daughter's Complaint
The Nibelung Motive is sometimes labeled the Forging Motive because it also depicts their intense hammering activity as Wotan and Loge enter Nibelheim. In the example of the motive given the Nibelung Motive is played on the horns and strings in unison, while the trombones play a slow drawn out version of the basic Love Motive in the minor. This Nibelung theme will make other appearances throughout the Ring, sometimes with an association to the dwarfs as a group and sometimes to an individual dwarf, such as Mime.
The Nibelung Motive suggest a certain intensity of purpose with its repetitive rhythm. In Die Walküre Act II – Scene 1 Wagner makes use of a variation on the Nibelung Motive for an unflattering comparison between Fricka cracking her golden whip over her rams and Alberich similarly driving his Nibelung subjects to serve his purpose.
Wagner uses variations on the Nibelung Motive with Alberich’s brother, Mime. Here the theme is altered from triple time to duple in Scene 3 when Mime tells Loge of the Nibelungs’ change from carefree forgers of trinkets and toys to Alberich’s slave laborers whose only purpose is to increase his treasure hoard . The example given is notable both for the variation of the Nibelung Motive played on the horn and because it expands on the four note descending melody that was foreshadowed by Flosshilde in the example given earlier. This little scale fragment will be developed into a theme that Siegfried calls Mime’s Starling Song.
There is another variation on the meter of the Nibelung Motive that becomes associated with Mime’s gait and physical twitching. It is heard in Siegfried Act I – Scene 1.
As mentioned above, Mime’s song from Das Rheingold is developed further in the opera Siegfried. But before Mime sings the definitive song he prepares the way by introducing a similar descending musical phrase that is concerned with the loving relationship between a parent and its offspring. This bit of brief music comically recurs near the end of Act II of Siegfried as Mime once again feigns concern for Siegfried, but the actual words he sings tell the youth of Mime’s desire to cut Siegfried’s head off.
Music-Longing For Parents
Music-Mime's Plan
Mime’s ‘Starling Song’ is now sung to remind Siegfried of his supposed sacrifices for the youth’s benefit. Note that the cellos play an accompanying variation on the Nibelung Motive. Siegfried not only can’t stand Mime’s whining song, but he takes the melody and transforms it into a theme that represents his desire to free himself from the old dwarf.
This freedom theme is sometimes labeled the Adventure Motive because an ascending variation on it has Siegfried stating his desire to go out into the wide world to seek out a new life. The definitive form of this Freedom Motive is given in the second example below and is represented in Siegfried’s vocal line.
The Freedom Motive is developed dramatically in Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. In Die Walküre Wotan had accepted Fricka’s argument that his son Siegmund was not a free agent. In Act II – Scene 1 of Siegfried Wotan points out to Alberich that he will not interfere in the contest for the ring. His vocal line in this example says that Siegfried is a free agent who will succeed or fail on his own.
In Scene 2 of Götterdämmerung’s Prologue Siegfried explains to Brunnhilde that they are joined by their love for one another, loosing their individual identities. In his vocal line the Freedom Motive is used almost ironically when he states that he functions as Brunnhilde arm, i.e. her agent.
Music-Siegfried as Brunnhilde's Agent
This dramatic irony associated with the Freedom Motive is developed even further in Götterdämmerung when Siegfried and Gunther proclaim their freedom of action as they swear the oath of blood brotherhood. Cooke points out succinctly that they are not free agents but mere pawns in Hagen’s plot to gain possession of the ring.
The descending scale fragment that was foreshadowed by Flosshilde in Das Rheingold has a brief subsidiary development in association with Mime. One could argue that because of his obsession with the ring and the Nibelung treasure Mime is not free. His schemes fail and he is frustrated in his attempts to gain power. That frustration is expressed musically in Scene 3 of Das Rheingold over his failure to master the Tarnhelm’s magic. This theme is repeated in the opening scene of Siegfried. The dwarf has developed a clever intrigue to use Siegfried as his agent to gain the Nibelung Hoard and the power that comes with it. However, Mime realizes that no weapon save Nothung can slay Fafner, and his vocal line in the second example below expresses his sense of failure and emotional frustration at his inability to forge the sword anew.
Music-Foreshadow Mime's Frustration
There is one final example of music that doesn’t fit any of the musical patterns discussed so far. However it is dramatically associated with what would normally be thought of as Nibelung activity. In Siegfried Act I – Scene 3 the youth destroys the fragments of the old sword to forge it anew as his own weapon. As Siegfried’s smith work proceeds he sings different themes at different points in his task of forging Nothung. Below is his hammering song as he pounds the steel into the proper shape. Although not shown in the example from the score given, Wagner uses Siegfried’s hammer as a percussion instrument and wrote exactly where in the music the hammer blows were to fall.
