Transcription of Wagner Rideofthe Valkyrie PDF

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Transcription of Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyrie” from Die Walküre

Instrumentation: This piece is scored for a typical 19th-century orchestra including strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Wagner wrote this as part of an opera, and his original version also includes lyrics for a soprano who plays the part of one of the Valkyrie warriors. However, like the version included here, this piece is often heard in its instrumental form without the singer. Mode: This piece blends minor and major modes for dramatic effect. The result is a mixture of excitement and triumph.

Section 1 0:00 The piece opens with an ascending flourish in the strings that leads to a sustained woodwind trill (rapid alternation of two adjacent pitches). This same musical idea is repeated an octave (eight notes) higher, and then again another octave higher. Then the music reverses course, going back down to the second octave level and then back to the first, outlining a mountain-like shape. This musical idea creates a mood of anticipation and excitement. 0:07 The mountain idea repeats, but is now accompanied by a “galloping” figure in the lower brass, symbolic of the winged horses the Valkyrie ride through the sky. 0:13 The string flourishes suddenly speed up, moving three times faster than they were before. They streak up and down the scale, shimmering and swirling like shooting stars while the “gallop” motif continues. In this passage, you can clearly hear that the music is in triple meter (a three-beat pattern) by listening to the string flourishes. 0:20 Suddenly, rising out of the chaos created by the strings, woodwind trills, and galloping comes the famous “ride” theme, played by the trombones. Its uneven, edgy rhythm (short-long, short-short-long, long) outlines the notes of an ascending minor chord that transforms into major as it reaches its peak. It sounds very much like a fanfare, a musical code typically used to signify that something or someone important is about to be revealed. There are now three distinct musical layers: the strings and woodwinds, the galloping, and the ride. These overlapping melodic ideas create a polyphonic musical texture. 0:32 The “ride” theme is repeated, but with a higher starting pitch. 0:44 The low brass instruments call out the first part of the “ride” theme and are echoed by the higher brass. Low and high merge together to finish the theme, which they then repeat on higher pitches. This call-and-response symbolizes the Valkyrie sisters calling to each other as they ride through the night sky. 1:03 The original musical idea from 0:20 is repeated here.

Section 2

2 1:17 Suddenly, the music darkens, taking a minor mode turn and dropping in dynamic level. It seems to lose its melodic drive here. Various transformations of the “ride” theme and “gallop” figure are interspersed with shimmering string descents. 1:32 Echoes of Valkyrie war-whoops are heard in the orchestra here, accompanied by gallops and fanfare-like ideas. 1:39 A dramatic crescendo (increase in volume) brings us back to a fuller statement of the “ride” motif. 2:12 The ride ends triumphantly in a loud (forte) burst of sound accompanied by cymbals, wind and string flourishes, and held notes in the brass. 2:19 The musical build-up makes the listener think that the piece is coming to an end. In a surprise move, the music gets a renewed burst of energy as all the instruments suddenly move higher, accompanied by pounding drums and crashing cymbals. 2:26 Another surprise occurs as the texture suddenly thins out, with most of the brass, string, and percussion instruments dropping out, leaving the woodwinds. Wagner adds back in the brass, then the strings, then the percussion. The music crescendos, then suddenly starts to descend. It sounds like someone or something is falling into a deep hole. 2:34 A rising galloping sound emerges from the hole, but it is a different type of gallop than the one heard underneath the “ride” theme earlier. Another crescendo, accompanied by the drums. 2:40 A repeat of the “falling” motif and subsequent galloping. 2:49 The falling motif is heard again, but it only makes it about halfway down before the brass and cymbals stop the fall, forcing the motif to restart at a higher pitch. This happens three times, but the motif never makes it all the way down to the bottom of the hole. 2:59 The woodwinds and strings come out of the fall section trilling.

Section 3 3:03 Their trill morphs into the same trill heard at the beginning, which sets off a repeat of the polyphonic section heard at 0:20, but a bit faster and louder this time. 3:41 With a drum roll and a flourish, the “ride” melody is heard again in all its glory, played by the low brass instruments. The strings and winds fly wildly around while the triangle clangs repeatedly, adding a sparkling effect. This is the most grandiose and powerful version of the ride yet! 4:10 A boisterous and triumphant repeat of the main themes from section 2, including the “falling” motif and the war-whoops. 4:38 The music reaches a victorious cadence (musical stopping point), but instead of ending, Wagner adds a closing section known as a coda. 4:42 The strings provide a low, rumbling trill accompanied by a drum roll. The rumble grows, ending in one final, forte (loud) chord played by the whole orchestra to end the piece with a bang!...