# Rheingold: Prelude or Part 1?



## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

I read somewhere (forgive me for not being able to recall exactly where) that Wagner thought of Rheingold more as a long prelude to the whole Ring, with the successive operas providing both the real narrative and musical meat. I know there are some on this forum who actually prefer it to some of the other parts of the Ring, though I think that's still probably a minority opinion. I suppose my question is intended to gauge the current opinion on Rheingold both as part of the Ring, and as an opera in itself from both the musical and narrative standpoints (obviously it's significantly shorter than the others, but I'd rather focus on the former two aspects). Is it the Runt of the Ring, or as good as the others?


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Rheingold is monumental and I think it's both.
It is certainly a prelude as it sets the scene for the dramas ahead.
But it also stands alone as a revolutionary opera.
Think of operas before it and see what a brilliant, revolutionary work it is.
Through composed, amazing orchestration and an declamatory style that includes
much beauty as well.
And the use of those amazing leitmotives to deepen and tie music, characters, feelings and situations together.
One of the greatness of Wagner's Ring is that it totally revolutionized opera (music drama) while still being accessible to the masses.

I also read where Wagner regarded the Ring as a symphonic work.
Rheingold the opening movement, Walkure the slow second movement, Siegfried the scherzo, and Gotterdammerung as the final, climactic movement.
Quiet a work!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Itullian said:


> I also read where Wagner regarded the Ring as a symphonic work.
> Rheingold the opening movement, Walkure the slow second movement, Siegfried the scherzo, and Gotterdammerung as the final, climactic movement.
> Quiet a work!


Awesome! No need for a thread asking what is the longest symphony. We now know!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

The music of _Rheingold_ has distinctive qualities of its own. It's spontaneous and youthful, and it unveils Wagner's mature technique of building a whole score out of leitmotifs with a delightful clarity and simplicity. This elemental quality suits perfectly the exposition of some of the Ring's major characters and principal dramatic themes, but the outward simplicity is deceptive. What opera ever had a more fascinating beginning than this one, with the birth of the world beneath the waters inhabited by the immortal spirits of Edenic nature, and innocence lost when the gold of consciousness and moral awareness awakens in the primal act of defiance? It's a completely fresh telling of the story of the Fall, but a more psychologically perceptive one than the Biblical one: a moral inquiry rather than a homily. Wagner's portrait of Alberich - here, at the beginning of things, a child almost admirable in the pride of his rebellion against mother nature and exulting in the strength of his new-formed ego - is brilliant.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

And the genius of the final scenes!
Fasolt lying dead from his brother hand.
The Gods in their overwhelming pride and egotism, ignoring it like it never happened.
An the genius stroke of Loge sarcastically lamenting the whole scene while the pompous march to Valhalla is playing loud.
And wasn't he the instigator?
Amazing stuff!


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Die Walküre is called the first day of the Ring, with Das Rheingold the preliminary evening. I don't think it's story is as developed and it doesn't stand alone as well as any of the other operas in the Ring, but it does a fantastic job of setting up all that follows.

The structure of Götterdämmerung is the same as that of the entire cycle; it is a prologue (that also starts with three mythical characters losing something) and three acts. The prologue is probably no one's favorite part - and how often do opera companies have a break after the prologue!? - but it is important for setting up what is about to happen.

Das Rheingold also has the same structure as the whole cycle, and if there is a reasonable place for a break it is after the first scene.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

According to Wagner Reingold was the prelude.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

mountmccabe said:


> Das Rheingold also has the same structure as the whole cycle, and if there is a reasonable place for a break it is after the first scene.


Perish the thought! The orchestral transition from scene 1 to scene 2 gives us the crucially important transformation of the ring motif into the Valhalla motif. To interrupt that would be vandalism.

No breaks. Pee before the performance.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Woodduck said:


> Perish the thought! The orchestral transition from scene 1 to scene 2 gives us the crucially important transformation of the ring motif into the Valhalla motif. To interrupt that would be vandalism.
> 
> No breaks. Pee before the performance.


Wow! I missed the whole thing. But it was #2, so I had an excuse.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

KenOC said:


> Wow! I missed the whole thing. But it was #2, so I had an excuse.


Doesn't it come over the PA in there? Or do they only play C & W?


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Woodduck said:


> Doesn't it come over the PA in there? Or do they only play C & W?


Golden era stuff. Vanilla Fudge and so forth. Moby Grape too, maybe.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Rheingold is definitely the prelude to the work, but I also think it can stand on it's own. I actually prefer it to _Walküre_. I do love the whole Ring, but I definitely listen to _Siegfried_ most, and probably _Rheingold_ second.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Perish the thought! The orchestral transition from scene 1 to scene 2 gives us the crucially important transformation of the ring motif into the Valhalla motif. To interrupt that would be vandalism.
> 
> No breaks. Pee before the performance.


Oh, I agree, it works best without a break.

But dramatically if there has to be a break that's where it should be. There's a real story break. And of course scenes 2 through 4 follow Wotan.


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