Ride of the valkyries analysis

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Applied Humanities

Themes in Music Wagner By Alisha Nypaver 2 Module Two: Introduction to the Humanities, continued / Page 2.3.1 Wagner On this page: 0 of 1 attempted (0%) Objective: Examine an excerpt from an opera by Richard Wagner to learn how musical codes help establish the theme of a work.

As you have seen in examples of visual arts, artists often explore similar themes in their work. As an example of how themes work in music, we will look at how two composers depict the idea of power, particularly power in the realm of fantasy.

One way composers represent themes in music is through the use of musical codes. Musical codes are created through combinations of musical elements that have assumed a generally recognizable extra-musical meaning. Some codes are learned through frequent reference in popular culture, such as the iconic music from the shower scene in the movie Psycho. Even if you haven’t seen the film, you probably recognize that this music represents something scary, because it has frequently been imitated or parodied in conjunction with scary things. We learn to associate the specific idea of “horror” with this code over time.

Other codes develop as many composers write variants of them using similar musical elements. As these codes appear in art, music, films, and commercials, they become generally recognized and associated with the ideas, emotions, or objects with which they frequently appear. For instance, think about the theme song from The Pink Panther.

Now imagine that you lived in a remote part of the world and had never been exposed to music from outside your region. Do you think that these musical codes would evoke the same feelings or emotions if you had no context or reference? Why or why not?

The question is whether these codes are always learned associations, or if there are intrinsic qualities in the combinations of musical elements themselves that suggest different emotions or feelings. For instance, the Psycho “shower scene” music features harsh, screeching violins that almost mimic a human’s screams. If this kind of sound were always used in the background of love scenes, would we eventually come to associate this sound with love? Or would we always perceive it as representing something negative?

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Many musical codes were created by Romantic-era composers such as Richard Wagner, whose utilization of specific musical language in conjunction with the visual representations on the opera stage had a profound impact on the work of 20th-century film composers such as Erich Korngold, Bernard Hermann, and John Williams.

Example One

On this page, you will analyze a musical work using the strategies outlined on the How to Listen to Music page. Be sure to download the detailed description of the music—it might help you with your analysis.

First we will listen to “Ride of the Valkyries” from Die Walküre by Richard Wagner (1856). This version was performed by the New York Metropolitan Opera, conducted by James Levine and featuring Deborah Voigt as Brünnhilde.

Wagner: “Ride of the Valkyries”

A selection from “Ride of the Valkyries” by Richard Wagner. Performed by the MET Orchestra, conducted by James Levine. For a detailed description of the music, follow the

transcript link below.

Read Text Transcript

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Impressions

You may have heard this iconic theme before. It has been referenced many times in pop culture, including a prominent appearance in the movie Apocalypse Now. As you listen, consider the following questions:

Why do you think this piece is still so popular today? What do you think about when you hear this piece?

Response Board

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Wagner (the composer of this piece) chose a specific melody, specific dynamic levels, and specific instruments in this work because he intended to convey a certain mood. What do you think that mood is?

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Contextualization

Composer Richard Wagner (1813–1883) wrote this song as the dramatic opening to the third act of his opera Die Walküre (The Valkyrie). This opera is the second in a series of four epic dramas that form a 16-hour saga called The Ring of the Nibelungen. The operas have dozens of characters and a very complicated plot. To help audiences follow the story and to make for a more integrated work, Wagner used musical codes to signify recurring characters and plot points.

The Valkyries are warrior goddesses, the children of Wotan, who is a major deity in Germanic pagan mythology. Their leader is Brünnhilde, Wotan’s favorite daughter. In this scene, the Valkyrie sisters greet each other as they gather on a rock after a cosmic ride on winged horses during a lightning storm. The warriors are preparing to fly to their father’s castle, Valhalla, but they are waiting for Brünnhilde to arrive. At the end of the ensemble, she appears, carrying the body of an unconscious woman whose life she has saved in direct defiance of Wotan’s orders—a rebellious act that will cause trouble for her later on.

“Ride of the Valkyries” was an instant hit, with the composer receiving numerous requests for the piece to be performed as a stand-alone work. For many years, Wagner withheld his permission, insisting that it remain in the context of the opera.

Listen to this work again, thinking about the story line and imagining what sort of visuals you might see on stage if you were at a performance of this opera.

Share your thoughts with your peers...

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Wagner: “Ride of the Valkyries”

A selection from “Ride of the Valkyries” by Richard Wagner. Performed by the MET Orchestra, conducted by James Levine. For a detailed description of the music, follow the

transcript link below.

Read Text Transcript

Having trouble? Try our alternate player.

Analysis

Timbre

For centuries, the string family was the heart of the orchestra, dominating the melodies and remaining at the forefront of the work. To heighten the sense of power in this opera, Wagner elects to use the brass family as his main timbral element. Even though a typical brass section is already very powerful, it wasn’t powerful enough for Wagner, who increased the number of brass players needed to perform this work. He even invented a new instrument called the “Wagner tuba,” a cross between a French horn and a trombone, in order to get just the right timbres. Notice how the main “Ride” theme is played by horns, then trumpets, and then by an ensemble of brass instruments. Brass instruments have long been used as musical codes to signify royalty, war, and power—codes that all apply to the Valkyries.

Texture

There are a lot of musical layers in this piece, each competing for your attention. These musical layers are made up of musical codes that are designed to tell you something specific about what is happening in the opera. The first code, at the very beginning of the piece, is created by swirling strings and woodwinds that generate an atmospheric backdrop, setting the stage for the fantasy realm. The second code, at 0:07, is heard in the brass accompanied by the strings, which signifies galloping horses, the Valkyries’

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preferred mode of transport. The third code, at 0:20, is the famous “Ride” melody. Listen as all three combine in the dramatic opening of the song.

Pitch

The “Ride” melody is created with a series of ascending pitches. Upward motion can also be a musical symbol of power. At first, the pitches outline a minor chord, but then transform into major. This change from minor to major is often used to represent triumph over adversity.

Rhythm

Part of the reason the “ride” sounds so confident and powerful is the use of the uneven rhythmic pattern. Rather than have every note be the same rhythmic length, Wagner made some notes shorter and others longer, which has a dramatic effect on the melody.

Dynamics

Generally, the idea of power in music is expressed by a loud dynamic level, and Wagner doesn’t disappoint. Forte is the term composers use to indicate that a passage is meant to be played loudly; the Italian word forte itself means “strong,” and strength and power often go hand in hand.

Form

Wagner didn’t like the term “opera.” Instead, he preferred “music drama.” The form of a typical opera is not unlike that of a modern-day musical in that there are set musical numbers (called arias and ensembles) that are separated by a less melodic combination of speech and song called recitative. Rather than mold his music into a formulaic structure, Wagner wanted his operas to have the feeling of endless continuing melody. In large part, he achieved this by overlapping musical ideas. Do you get the sense of continuous melodic flow from this excerpt?

With these elements in mind, listen to the work again.

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Wagner: “Ride of the Valkyries”

A selection from “Ride of the Valkyries” by Richard Wagner. Performed by the MET Orchestra, conducted by James Levine. For a detailed description of the music, follow the

transcript link below.

Read Text Transcript

Having trouble? Try our alternate player.

close

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