Masculinity in Wagner's Das Rheingold

In the still of morning light, Fricka, wife of the Norse god Wotan, paces fretfully. In the distance, she sees a towering castle, built on her husband's orders and exemplifying his incredible power. The castle is introduced with the heraldic bleating of trumpets, a five-note lietmotif (0:14) that asserts masculinity. The first note, high and mighty, stuns us with its power. The next four notes are the same pitch as the first, but come in rapid succession. Confident and steadfast, they symbolize the perpetual nature of Wotan's power. Notice how, in this wide shot, Fricka is a small, insignificant figure against the blackness that surrounds her and shrouds the castle.

Now enters her female voice (1:08), shattering the calm and waking Wotan. His voice, deep and rich, enters calmly (1:16). He is still dreaming. Attempting to return to restful bliss, his voice exudes warmth and safety. Ending on a high note, he gives Fricka the opportunity to calm herself. As he is not worried, she should not either.

She refuses, and calls him again to wake up (1:40).

Wotan wakes - this time for real - and sees the castle. He is now bolder even than before in his proclamation of the castle's beauty (2:01). With the power and emotive timbre of his voice, he establishes the dominion of patriarchy, which gives the illusion of equality and voice while maintaining firm control over reason, logic, and reality. Woman, embodied in Fricka, has been given a chance to show her ability to reason, and she failed. She now falls silent (2:11).

Wotan's expressive range and emotive power proceed to expand to proportions incomparably greater than the feminine (2:37-). We are witnessing the apex of human expression and it is completely and utterly masculine. The servants join Fricka (2:38) in watching as Wotan thunders.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• wagner
• opera
• das
• rheingold
• ring
• nibelung
• beethoven
• bach
• classical
• romantic

[CzarDodon]

BTW Wagner scars you for life! Wagner is not a passion it's a disease... I got infected with Wagner when I was only 15 :-)

[richmond450]

How true! I'm sitting here in disbelief.

[phil2u]

@windstorm1000 HA HA HA. And her husband, chief of the gods, sleeps on the floor!

[Shogunmiyuchan]

2:50 - 3:06: one of the most glorious passages in music ever <3

[torstvillinger]

Sir(s): If I may, I here tell how often a Very Good Man is an Over-Achiever, and in truth, few Men are "Slow Learners." This is known either from the gods or merely from the angelic hosts in their abodes, wherever those abodes truly are or may be. --Attributed, J. D., SATX 78202 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (=U. S. A.) "No Shame Intended"

[windstorm1000]

The "goddess' Frycka--dressed like a hausfrau--I laugh!! More modernist takes that hardly ever work

[rumpwrestler]

@CzarDodon Yes, it is a delicious disease. I got hit when I was about 11.

[erikweldingmusician]

whats the type of opera where its 1 lady but its really light and melodic for example when the eagles take frodo in lord of the rings or in movies where theres a dramatic scene and the volume goes away except for singing

[Marleneagnes]

Heil Wagner! Lang Phasendeutschland!

[Springeragh]

Funny...that's the same age I heard my first Wagner (not a promising start: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan. I didn't hear any vocal music until Parsifal).