Die Walkürer (The Valkyrie), Act 1. (Lorin Maazel, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is a music drama in 3 acts with a German libretto by the composer. It is the 2nd of 4 works forming Wagner’s cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung. Wagner (1813-83) sought to synthesize the poetic, visual, musical and dramatic arts with music subsidiary to drama. The music is notable for complex textures, rich harmonies and orchestrations, chromaticism and quickly shifting tonal centers. The story is based on Norse mythology; a valkyrie is a female figure who decides which soldiers die in battle. The overall theme is love – between siblings, father and daughter, marital (or its absence). Musical leitmtoivs (themes) accompany each character and their feelings for their fellows. In Act 1, an exhausted Siegmund, pursued by enemies during a storm, seeks shelter at the warrior Hunding’s home, where he is greeted by Sieglinde, Hunding’s unhappy wife. She becomes fascinated with him, and urges him, once Hunding has returned, to tell his tale. Turn’s out Hunding is one of Siegmund’s pursuers, but grants him a night’s stay before they must do battle. Sieglinde drugs Hunding to deep sleep, reveals her forced marriage, the location of a mysterious sword, and they discover they are twin brother and sister, separated in childhood. Siegmund draws the sword from the trunk of an ash tree, which no one else had been able to do. As the Act closes, he calls Siegelinde “bride and sister” and passionately embraces her. Noted excerpts are the Prelude, depicting a storm, and track 10, Siegmund’s Spring Song and duet with Sieglinde. [adapted from Wikipedia]