This is a less than completely
reverent summary of the plot of Siegfried, the third of the four operas that
comprise Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle
Siegfried
The third part of the Ring
Cycle takes place twenty years after the events of Die Valkyrie, or however
long they give you between operas at Bayreuth if you're enjoying (or enduring)
the whole cycle in one fell swoop.
At the close of Die Valkyrie, Brunnhilde
was at the top of a mountain, fenced in by magic flames, and Sieglinde was in
possession of Siegmund's broken sword. She has, as Brunnhilde foretold, given
birth to a son, named Siegfried, who appears not to have been born with extra
fingers or toes, despite his parents being brother and sister. However,
Sieglinde died in childbirth, so that's one character fewer for the casting
director to worry about.
Act 1. Mime's forge in the forest
Remember Mime? He's the smith
who, at the command of Alberich the dwarf, made the ring that all the fuss is
about, as well as an invisible cap that enables the wearer to change shape. He
has been trying to make a sword for young Siegfried, who is living with Mime
and being taught the smith's trade, but none of his efforts have been up to
scratch.
Wotan enters and tells Mime
that Siegfried will himself make a sword from the fragments of Siegmund's
sword, and that it will be invincible. When Siegfried comes home he proceeds to
do exactly that. He then tests it on his master's anvil which he cuts in half,
which does not sound like a wise career move. All good swords in opera and
legend have names, and this one is to be called "Helpneed".
Act 2. The forest in front of the dragon's cave
Another character who has
skipped an opera is Fafner, the giant who possesses the Rhine-maidens' gold,
the ring and the shape-shifting cap. He now guards the treasure in a cave,
having assumed the form of a dragon. Outside the cave we find our old friend
Alberich, who still fancies his chances of stealing the gold back again; it was
he who stole it in the first place, if you recall. As with a lot of these
scenes, Wotan turns up and warns him that a hero is on his way who will defeat
everyone he meets.
Siegfried has been told about
the dragon by Mime, but he reckons that Fafner will be a good test for his new
sword. On the way, the Wood Bird has been singing warnings to him, but he does
not understand what she is trying to say. He summons Fafner to a fight and duly
kills him. However, a drop of the dragon's blood touches his tongue, and he
finds that he can now understand the Wood Bird's warning, which was that Mime
is trying to poison him. He therefore kills Mime, takes the ring, and follows
the Wood Bird, who leads him towards the mountain where Brunnhilde is awaiting
release by a superhero. Siegfried is now wearing the ring that gives him
ultimate power and he wields an invincible sword. The lad's got it made, hasn't
he?
Act 3 - A mountain pass
Erda, the earth-spirit, has
warned Wotan that the gods are doomed, but he determines to do what he can to
stop Siegfried. It's no contest, really. Helpneed the sword shatters Wotan's
spear, the magic flames die away, and Siegfried gets his girl, although she has
to exchange her immortality for the sake of his love.
However, this cannot be the end
of the story – there’s still another whole opera in the pipeline!
© John Welford
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