Excerpt+15

1. In this operatic excerpt, the gods are gathered on a high mountain pass. Donner, the God of Thunder, calls up a huge storm to announce the completion of Walhalla, the magnificent new palace of the gods. With a final hammer blow and clap of thunder, he calls into being a glistening rainbow bridge (which appears in the last few seconds of the excerpt), on which the gods can cross to their new home. Describe the ways the composer uses his musical resources to create the drama of this exciting scene.
 * Track 15: Wagner ‘Das Rheingold’ (2:06)**

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Wagner immediately sets the scene with strings all playing a virtuosic, arpegioic ostinati creating a busy effect. They ascend in pitch and crescendo to around mf before the male voice enters. The voice creates a very declamatory feel, outlining the major key by singing mainly the notes of the major triad. The voice enters very strongly and uses lots of vibrato. The rhythm of the voices melody is dotted, adding to the declamatory effect. The trumpet, which repeats some of the dotted figures at the ends of the voices phrases, further enhances this declamatory feel and it's bright and piercing tone adds strength to the atmosphere. The strings are still continuing their original busy ostinati, adding the wild nature of a storm to the atmosphere.

Around the middle of the excerpt, there is a build up to the final hammer blow. Wagner enhances this build up through brass playing a sustained chord and strings ascending in register, both with a big crescendo to the top, very loud, and very high note. Suddenly, a loud, sharp and accented sound on a percussion instrument, which sounds quite alien and shocking after the more familiar sounds of the strings and brass, perfectly encaptures a hammer blow. Following this, a timpani plays a very loud, low roll creating the effect of thunder.

At the end of the excerpt, a harp is heard for the first time, playing a repeating arpegioic ostinati, and is joined by violins playing a slow trill quite high in their register and the cellos playing a melody in slower note values then the busy and relentless motif at the start. The overall dynamic is now soft and a warm/gentle tone colour is created which perfectly creates the image of a glistening rainbow bridge.

Emily S

String build from low to high in dynamics and in register with trills and runs unique to each string section and arpeggios creating a shimmering effect in full texture that symbolises the large maintain pass that the gods have gathered on and the magical nature of the Gods and their grandeur. Also contributes to a raining effect from the Storm conjured by the god of thunder.

Male voice baritone with a rich full vibrato dominates the texture giving it a god like status, after each line of the voice there are dotted horn entries simulating the thunder from the storm after each speech made by Donner.

There is a chromatic build from the very low register strings to the very high register strings to a suspenseful chord that lingers for a few seconds before a loud metallic bang symbolising the hammer strike by the God, followed by a small loud full brass interjection and then the grumbling thunder of the double bass tremolo and narrow contour chromatic swells.

After the decrescendo the Harp enters with a continuous pattern creating a divine ringing effect that creates a sense of wonder which is also aided by the next entry of the Cello's.

Cello's play an arpeggio based smooth melody which creates a sense of wonder and relief at the same time. Very rich in tone colour, with much resonance and a full vibrato symbolises the wonder and grandeur of rainbow for the Gods.

Troy Rogan

Contrast between high register strings passage of florid movement, with baritone gruff vocal tone colour and clearly articulated rhythm. Use of very strong horns providing a regal and official air to the vocal line.The powerful baritone line eventually consists of an ascending perfect 4th followed by an ascending major 3rd, a descending major 6th and once more an ascending perfect 4th. The dominance of the perfect 4th provides a patriotic regal quality to the sentiments of the vocal line expressed through resonant and sure tone colours. In contrast, the incessant floridly ornamented string motif descends, modulating into a minor key. After the strong authority evoked through the baritone line, the strings fast moving passage, with a thin and wavering tone colour, provide a feeling of reverence towards the baritone, Donner the God of Thunder, who blasted forth his message in a strong manner.

The horn line progressively modulates upwards, mounting tension and creating a sense of ascension above the ordinary. During the horn modulation, the florid motif of the upper strings modulates upwards breaking into an ascending chromatic scale, emphasising this ascension. A percussive high pitched sound is heard representing the “final hammer blow” followed by another accented and harsh blow of the horns. A prolonged thunder sound is heard which increases the already significant tension established. Release at last occurs as the violins play repeated high register major seconds (as a slow trill). Harp is then heard for the first time and the strings continue to dominate with no brass or vocals. The contrast between the dominance of the horn and the dominance of the strings clearly represents tension and release. Tension + release = Drama.

Harriet Davies

**Mati:** **-Lush rising strings & winds** **-Announcing arpeggiated male vocal** **-Horns echo male - Donner** **Big fanfares over slistening strings - mimic rain** **-Strings darken sound and brass return - minor and diminished lead to rising passage and final hammer blow before bass drum and low strings - rumble ceases to glistening harp and upper strings over a beautiful soaring cello melody**

**Wagner uses the full ranges and dynamics of his forces to achieve all sorts of timbres reflecting the action and leading to a hightened drama. The upper strings are used often for their shimmering sound to create a sicilliating texture mimicing at once a glistening rainbow and prior the high heavens, Walhalla nad hte rain in the storm - this sound for the rain is mixed with the woodwind to furthur emphasise that timbre. To help with the rainbow the harp plays serene arpeggios, giving the sparkle in the sound while the cellos play their long soaring melody, giving a sense of hight whilst establishing a foundation which makes the rainbow a plausible bridge.**

**The brass are used cuivre - overblown and depicting the majestic storm - mimicing Donner's declamatory statements as the extension of his will - the storm. These fanfares ellivate the grandness and exitement at the new palace, heralding its comletion.**

**The low strings and bassoons are used effectively as the rumble of a dying storm, after the climactic hammer-blow, literally an anvil being hit by a hammer. The climax is achieved by the massive rise in pitch by the orchestra, rising with anticipation for this momentous moment.**