"There are countless horrible things happening all over the world and horrible people prospering, but we must never allow them to disturb our equanimity or deflect us from our sacred duty to sabotage and annoy them whenever possible." -Auberon Waugh
Monday, October 7, 2024
Classical corner
Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung.
From the notes below the video clip on the YouTube site:
"In the video are parts of 'Siegfried' which is part of 'Die Nibelungen' ('The Nibelungs') a two-part series of silent fantasy films created by Austrian director Fritz Lang in 1924 - for the German UFA - consisting of Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge.
The scenarios for both films were co-written by Lang's then-wife Thea von Harbou, based upon the epic poem Nibelungenlied written around AD 1200. Die Nibelungen received its UK premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where it played for 40 performances between 29th of April and 20th of June 1924. Siegfried was released in the United States on 23rd of August 1925, premiering at the Century Theatre in New York City in the short-lived Phonofilm sound-on-film process. Kriemhild's Revenge was released in the U.S. in 1928.
Paul Richter as Siegfried the dragon slayer, Margarete Schön as Kriemhild and Hans Adalbert Schlettow as Hagen von Tronje."
Yeah, the famous Funeral March which ends the Ring cycle. I liked the tune when I first heard it, but now I just have to laugh at the po-faced seriousness, with sadness at how the Germans used this stuff for evil. Before WW2 people took this way too seriously, all the Ubermensch fans, even English ones. After the war its popularity became more sane, as just music and drama, not pagan ecstatic ritual like before.
In contrast many Mahler symphonies BEGIN with a funeral march, but then explore a gamut of emotions and celebrate *life*. - Bruce
Yeah, the famous Funeral March which ends the Ring cycle. I liked the tune when I first heard it, but now I just have to laugh at the po-faced seriousness, with sadness at how the Germans used this stuff for evil. Before WW2 people took this way too seriously, all the Ubermensch fans, even English ones. After the war its popularity became more sane, as just music and drama, not pagan ecstatic ritual like before.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast many Mahler symphonies BEGIN with a funeral march, but then explore a gamut of emotions and celebrate *life*.
- Bruce