The Ring of the Niblungs (Rackham)/The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie

by Richard Wagner

THE RING
OF THE NIBLUNG

 

 

The Rhinegold: Prelude
The Valkyrie: First Day of the Trilogy
Siegfried: Second Day of the Trilogy
The Twilight of the Gods: Third
Day of the Trilogy

Books Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Uniform with this volume, Price 15s net

THE RING OF THE NIBLUNG

II. Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods

ARTHUR RACKHAM’S BOOK OF PICTURES.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. by William Shakespeare.

RIP VAN WINKLE By Washington Irving

Complete Edition

THE INGOLDSBY LEGENDS OF MIRTH

AND MARVELS. by Thomas Ingoldsby, Esq.

Also

UNDINE. By De la Motte Fouqué. Adapted from

the German by W. L. Courtney. Cr. 4to. 7s. 6d. net.

and

Large Crown 8vs. Price 6s net each

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

by Lewis Carroll. With a Proem by Austin Dobson

ÆSOP’S FABLES. A New Translation by

V. S. Vernon Jones, with an Introduction by G. K. Chesterton. 6s. net.

MOTHER GOOSE. The Old Nursery Rhymes.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL. By Charles Dickens

THE ALLIES’ FAIRY BOOK.

RIP VAN WINKLE. By Washington Irving.

Cheaper Edition, with 24 selected plates. Cr. 4to. 6s. net.

LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN, 21 BEDFORD STREET, W.C.

THE RING
OF THE NIBLUNG
A TRILOGY WITH A PRE-
LUDE BY RICHARD WAGNER
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY
MARGARET ARMOUR
I

 

“Raging, Wotan
Rides to the rock!
••••
Like a storm-wind he comes!”
See p. 143

THE·RHINEGOLD
&·THE·VALKYRIE

BY · RICHARD·WAGNER
WITH · ILLUSTRATIONS
BY · ARTHUR · RACKHAM

TRANSLATED·BY·MARGARET·ARMOUR

LONDON WILLIAM·HEINEMANN
NEW·YORKDOUBLEDAY·PAGE·&·Co

 

First Printed 1911.
New Impressions 1914, 1918.

 

All rights reserved,

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

	To face page
“Raging, Wotan Rides to the rock! •••• Like a storm-wind he comes!” Frontispiece
The frolic of the Rhine-Maidens	4
The Rhine-Maidens teasing Alberich	10
“Mock away! Mock! The Niblung makes for your toy!”	14
“Seize the despoiler! Rescue the gold! Help us! Help us! Woe! Woe!”	16
Freia, the fair one	22
“The Rhine's pure-gleaming children Told me of their sorrow”	28
Fasolt suddenly seizes Freia and drags her to one side with Fafner	32
The Gods grow wan and aged at the loss of Freia	34
Mime, howling. “Ohé! Ohé! Oh! Oh!”	38
Mime writhes under the lashes he receives	40
Alberich drives in a band of Niblungs laden with gold and silver treasure	44
“Ohé! Ohé! Horrible dragon, O swallow me not! Spare the life of poor Loge!”	50
“Hey! Come hither, And stop me this cranny!”	64
“Erda bids thee beware”	66
Fafner kills Fasolt	68
“To my hammer's swing Hitherward sweep Vapours and fogs! Hovering mists! Donner, your lord, summons his hosts!”	70
“The Rhine's fair children, Bewailing their lost gold, weep”	72
“This healing and honeyed Draught of mead Deign to accept from me.” “Set it first to thy lips”	80
Hunding discovers the likeness between Siegmund and Sieglinde	82
Sieglinde prepares Hunding’s draught for the night	88
“Siegmund the Walsung Thou dost see! As bride-gift He brings thee this sword”	100
Brünnhilde	102
Fricka approaches in anger	104
Brünnhilde slowly and silently leads her horse down the path to the cave	110
“Father! Father! Tell me what ails thee? With dismay thou art filling thy child!”	112
Brünnhilde stands for a long time dazed and alarmed	118
Brünnhilde with her horse, at the mouth of the cave	122
“I flee for the first time And am pursued: Warfather follows close •••• He nears, he nears, in fury! Save this woman! Sisters, your help!”	138
“There as a dread Dragon he sojourns, And in a cave Keeps watch over Alberich’s ring”	142
The ride of the Valkyries	148
“Appear, flickering fire, Encircle the rock with thy flame! Loge! Loge! Appear!”	156
As he moves slowly away, Wotan turns and looks sorrowfully back at Brünnhilde	158
The sleep of Brünnhilde	160

 

 

 

The Rhinegold

 

CHARACTERS
GODS: Wotan, Donner, Froh, Loge
NIBELUNGS: Alberich, Mime
GIANTS: Fasolt, Fafner
GODDESSES: Fricka, Freia, Erda
RHINE-MAIDENS: Woglinde, Wellgunde, Flosshilde

SCENES OF ACTION
II‍I. At the bottom of the Rhine
I‍II. Open Space on a Mountain Height near the Rhine
III. The Subterranean Caverns of the Nibelheim
IV. Open Space as in Scene II.

 

The Valkyrie

 

CHARACTERS
Wootan Hundeng
Fricka Siegmund
Sieglinde

Brünnhilde, Valkyrie
Eight Other Valkyries:
Gerhilde, Ortlinde, Waltraute,
Schwertleite, Helmwige, Siegrune,
 Grimgerde, Rossweisse

SCENES OF ACTION
Act I. The Interior of Hunding’s Dwelling
Act II. A Wild Rocky Mountain
Act III. On the Top of a Rocky Mountain
(Brünnhilde’s Rock)