Subscription Concerts 2023-2024Program C
No. 1990 Subscription (Program C)

Based on German and Scandinavian legends, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) is a music drama for singers and a large orchestra. Consisting of four parts (Das Rheingold [The Rhinegold], Die Walküre [The Valkyrie], Siegfried and Götterdämmerung [Twilight of the Gods]), it takes approximately fifteen hours to perform. Wagner wrote both the libretto and music of this cycle where the drama and the music are indissolubly united on an unprecedented level, especially by the scrupulous use of the numerous leitmotifs (recurrent melodic or/and harmonic elements representing certain characters, feelings, things or so).
Among highly-praised arrangements of this musical epic is The Ring, An Orchestral Adventure (1991). It was prepared for the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra by Henk de Vlieger, then its principal percussionist. Performed seamlessly, this purely-orchestral digest follows the flow of the plot where gods and mortals battle for the magic ring in order to have the power to rule the world.
An Orchestral Adventure starts with I Vorspiel (Prelude) and II Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold) both set in the Rhine River of which Alberich (Nibelung dwarf) steals the gold from the bottom. He then forges it into a ring in III Nibelheim, his kingdom, which resounds with the pounding of anvils. Wotan (ruler of the gods) takes the ring, but parts with it to stay away from the curse put on it by Alberich. The famous music of V Die Walküren (The Valkyries) portrays the warrior maidens on flying horses. These Valkyries are daughters of Wotan and sisters of Brünnhilde who is deprived of immortality for disobeying her father. She is put to sleep fenced around with VI Feuerzauber (The Magic Fire) that only a true hero would not fear. The horn solo opening VIII Siegfrieds Heldentat (Siegfried’s Heroic Deed) represents the braveness of Siegfried (Wotan’s mortal grandson) who becomes the owner of the ring. The young hero goes to wake his future wife up (IX Brünnhildes Erwachen [Brünnhilde’s Awakening]). He gives her the ring as a pledge of fidelity (X Siegfried und Brünnhilde [Siegfried and Brünnhilde]) before Hagen (Alberich’s son) assassinates him (XII Siegfrieds Tod [Siegfried’s Death], XIII Trauermusik [Funeral March]). Brünnhilde burns herself on her husband’s funeral pyre returning the cursed ring to the Rhine at XIV Brünnhildes Opfertat (Brünnhilde’s Immolation) which is ended peacefully by the “redemption-through-love” leitmotif on strings.

[Kumiko Nishi]