Richard Wagner - Die Walküre, Act III: Wotan’s Farewell and Magic Fire Music (Arr. August Strad

Richard Wagner’s ’Der Ring des Nibelungen’ is a cycle of four operas based on Norse legends and mythology. The second of the operas is ’Die Walküre’ (The Valkyrie), which is subtitled “First Day“. It follows the prelude ’Das Rheingold’, and is followed by ’Siegfried’ and ’Götterdämmerung’, the second day and third day. In the third act of ’Die Walküre’, after the Valkyrie Brünnhilde defies Wotan (Odin) by helping Siegmund in battle, she begs her sisters to help Sieglinde, who is pregnant. As punishment for her disobedience, Wotan places Brünnhilde in a magic sleep, surrounded by a circle of fire, only to be awoken by a hero brave enough to pass through. Loge (Loki) creates the magic fire. Stradal’s arrangement, titled ’Schluss des letzten Aufzuges’, or ’End of the last act’, is based on the music of Wotan’s farewell to Brünnhilde (’Leb wohl, du kühnes, herrliches Kind’) and Log