Ring Cycle Dvd

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August 12th, 2008 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Ring Cycle dvd
Disappointing operatic character(s) last words: which are your candidates?

Some final utterances of operatic characters, to me are disappointing, immemorable.

Whether they then just exit the stage, or die on stage, it seems to me on occassion that the composer just simply missed the mark.

Do you find this so?

The one most glaring example for me, is Siegfried's death in Wagner's "Die Gotterdammerung".

The following I copied from a DVD that I have of Wagner's complete Ring cycle: if the German is incorrect, am sure someone will catch it.

Siegfried's last words are: "Brunnhilde...bietet mir Gruzz." (Bunnhilde...bids me welcome.)

My objection, is the sound of the word "Gruzz". It sounds very unmusical to me: crass, gross, gutteral?

I would much prefer to hear an "Aaaahhhh!!!", or something similar.

Are there a operatic characters final words, that you find most unappealing?

Alberich

For some reason Dido's final line in Dido & Aeneas has always kind of irked me: "Remember me, but ah! forget my fate." And I do agree with you on Siegfried's final word; it's a very grating sound to end a character with.

And I have to say that this is one of the best questions I've read on here in a while.