Wagner: the ultimate musical genius?

I am arriving at the view, after 50 years of classical music enjoyment, that there can be no more passionate, emotional and tender expression in music than Wotan's extraordinarily poignant farewell to his favourite daughter, Brunhilde, at the end of Act 3 of Die Walküre. I adore Bach's B minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, I am caught up in the turbulence of Mahler's 5th and 6th symphonies; I worship every note of Beethoven etc. etc. etc. but Wotan's farewell moves me to tears on every hearing.

Originally posted by Pianoman1

I am arriving at the view, after 50 years of classical music enjoyment, that there can be no more passionate, emotional and tender expression in music than Wotan's extraordinarily poignant farewell to his favourite daughter, Brunhilde, at the end of Act 3 of Die Walküre. I adore Bach's B minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, I am caught up in the turbulenc ...[text shortened]... ry note of Beethoven etc. etc. etc. but Wotan's farewell moves me to tears on every hearing.

"I am arriving at the view, after 50 years of classical music enjoyment, that there can be no more passionate, emotional and tender expression in music than Wotan's extraordinarily poignant farewell to his favourite daughter, Brunhilde, at the end of Act 3 of Die Walküre."

YouTube

YouTube

Ambivalent Tears of irreconcilable sadness and redeeming joy.
Thank you, Pianoman1 (how apropos an RHP Nickname)...

Originally posted by Pianoman1
I am arriving at the view, after 50 years of classical music enjoyment, that there can be no more passionate, emotional and tender expression in music than Wotan's extraordinarily poignant farewell to his favourite daughter, Brunhilde, at the end of Act 3 of Die Walküre. I adore Bach's B minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, I am caught up in the turbulence ...[text shortened]... ry note of Beethoven etc. etc. etc. but Wotan's farewell moves me to tears on every hearing.

Indeed Wagner's farewell to Brunhilde is sublime, but Wagner has endless such moments. For me Parsifal singing to Amfortas about how the sacred spear will heal his wound is incredible (Amfortas, Die Wunde!) as is the moment the "gaze/look" leitmotif first appears in Tristan. The "Liebestod" is another such moment as you describe. I adore Wagner, a true genius!

Originally posted by scacchipazzo

Indeed Wagner's farewell to Brunhilde is sublime, but Wagner has endless such moments. For me Parsifal singing to Amfortas about how the sacred spear will heal his wound is incredible (Amfortas, Die Wunde!) as is the moment the "gaze/look" leitmotif first appears in Tristan. The "Liebestod" is another such moment as you describe. I adore Wagner, a true genius!

You two men are so knowledgeable of this vast universe. I'm delighted just to read
the descriptions, critques and summaries. Any Youtube Links available? Thanks.

Originally posted by scacchipazzo
Indeed Wagner's farewell to Brunhilde is sublime, but Wagner has endless such moments. For me Parsifal singing to Amfortas about how the sacred spear will heal his wound is incredible (Amfortas, Die Wunde!) as is the moment the "gaze/look" leitmotif first appears in Tristan. The "Liebestod" is another such moment as you describe. I adore Wagner, a true genius!

How true! From the very first chord of Tristan, THE CHORD!!, you know you are in the hands of a genius. That Wagner influenced every composer, writer and artist after him, either because they adored or repelled them (and in the case of Nietsche - both) is testament to the powerfully innovative music and creativity of the man. Yes, the stately majesty and mysticism of Parsifal, Wagner's last offering, is indeed spine-tingling, but it is "other-worldly". With Die Walküre we are in the world of human love in all its forms; the innocent sexual attraction between the two siblings Siegmund and Sieglinde, the fatherly love of Wotan and Brünhilde, the daughterly love of Brünhilde to obey her father, the wifely love of Fricka and Wotan, and then there is the love of power, the Ring, that will ultimately cause the downfall of the gods in Götterdämmerung. Nice to talk to another addict!!

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
You two men are so knowledgeable of this vast universe. I'm delighted just to read
the descriptions, critques and summaries. Any Youtube Links available? Thanks.

Thanks for the compliments, GB. I certainly will oblige. My favoroite is with Kaufmann, but I could not find it in staged form, only concert form:
YouTube

As for Tristan und Isolde one must hear the entire first act including "Vorspiel"(prelude), a masterpiece of music so sublime as to bring tears when done the right way. This is the definitive version with Furtwangler conducting. The theme first appears after the intro to the prelude and leaves one thunderstruck. It exemplifies the awesome power of love and its overpowering effect on our psyche all in a few bars a strange dissonant chord. YouTube then followed by the "look/glance" leitmotif. This ushers in atonality in one fell swoop into the universe of music. So much so that Schoenberg credits Wagner with birthing atonalism and Alban Berg quotes Tristan's chord in many works.
Jessye Norman does a superb "Liebestod" YouTube Notice the interweaving of the themes from the prelude and from act one into a masterpiece of musicianship exalting the power of death through love without being corny or bombastic.

Originally posted by Pianoman1
How true! From the very first chord of Tristan, THE CHORD!!, you know you are in the hands of a genius. That Wagner influenced every composer, writer and artist after him, either because they adored or repelled them (and in the case of Nietsche - both) is testament to the powerfully innovative music and creativity of the man. Yes, the stately majesty and m ...[text shortened]... ltimately cause the downfall of the gods in Götterdämmerung. Nice to talk to another addict!!

Indeed quite different. Earthly vs otherworldly love cannot compare. The greatness of Wagner is he satisfies our yearnings for both. Wagner knew how to appeal to our instincts in a form that removed any baseness from any form of love as well as distilling profound hate into a potent music that sends chills up one's spine such as when Alberich stands behind his son, Hagen and sings to him about fulfilling his revenge once and for all then Hagen goes and kills Siegfried. Wagner was a master psychologist.

Indeed nice to connect to another Wagnerian. Just wait till your fellow countryman, Teinosuke pipes in! He knows his Wagner!

Well put. As well as the Barenboim's Bayreuth Ring, I have the Solti Ring with Gustav Neidlinger who has owned the part of Alberich, and Gottlob Frick as Hagen. Act 2 of Götterdämmerung is just stunning. Also love Wotan's (James King) dismissive dispatch of Hunding!

Originally posted by Pianoman1
Well put. As well as the Barenboim's Bayreuth Ring, I have the Solti Ring with Gustav Neidlinger who has owned the part of Alberich, and Gottlob Frick as Hagen. Act 2 of Götterdämmerung is just stunning. Also love Wotan's (James King) dismissive dispatch of Hunding!

Mine is a budget version of a digitally remastered 1967 Karl Bohm live version from Bayreuth. Superb is an understatement for this Ring. There used to be an interactive CR-ROM version of the Ring. By the time I tried getting a copy once it came down in price it had sold out never to be reissued. It was supposed to enhance once enjoyment of the Ring via various devices such as immediately jumping to the Ring section where any particular leitmotif appeared and break down how Wagner disguised same, a typically Wagnerian form of musical genius. Our local Wagner society gives out free Bayreuth Festival passes with a long term commitment to the club. With a senior in high school and one in college funds are short for such a momentous trip! One can only dream.