bluebeard-第3节

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〃_Ausgespielt_Motiv_〃　（Motive　of　Spent　Strength　and　Spilled　Blood）。

＇Glu'ckseligkeit　Motiv＇

＇Ausgespielt　Motiv＇

The　〃_Ausgespielt_Motiv_〃　is　written　in　four　flats；　but　as　a　matter　of　fact
only　one　person　is　flat；　viz。：　Blue…beard；　who　has　just　been　slain　by
Mustapha。　The　other　three　flats　must　refer　to　the　sheep　accidentally　hit　by
the　younger　brothers；　who　aim　for　Bluebeard；　but　miss　him；　being
indifferent　marksmen。

Why　does　the　union　of　these　_motive_；　〃_Bruder_Hoch_zu_Ross〃　（Brothers　on　a
High　Horse）；　〃_Kilkennische_Katzen_〃　（Mortal　Combat）；　〃_Schwert_〃　（Sword）；
〃_Glu'ckseligkeit_〃　（Felicity　of　Fatima）；　and　〃_Ausgespielt_〃　（Spent
Strength　and　Spilled　Blood）；　when　blended　in　one　majestically　discordant
whole；　produce　upon　us　a　feeling　of　profound　grief　mingled　with　hysterical
mirth？

＇Ensemble　Motiv　Blaubart…Schwert…_Glu'ckseligkeit_…Leichen＇

And　why　do　the　measures　grow　more　and　more　sad　as　they　melt　into　the
touching　〃_Blut_auf_dem_Mond_Motiv_〃　（Blood…on…the…Moon　Motive）？

＇Blut　auf　dem　Mond　Motiv＇　（slowly　and　with　infinite　pathos）

Simply　because　in　a　mortal　combat　somebody　is　invariably　wounded　and
sometimes　killed。　Wagner　sang　of　human　life　as　it　is；　not　as　it　might；
could；　would；　or　should　be。　From　the　〃_Blut_auf_dem_Mond_Motiv_〃
（Blood…on…the…Moon　Motive）　we　glide　at　once　into　a　dirge；　the　〃_Leichen_；〃
or　Corpse；　Motive；　one　of　those　superb　funeral　marches　with　which　we　are
familiar　in　the　other　music…dramas　of　Wagner；　for　the　master；　though　not　an
Irishman；　is　never　so　happy　as　on　these　funeral　occasions。

＇Leichen　Motiv＇

If　any　brainless　and　bigoted　box…holder　should　ask　why　the　〃_Blaubart_
_Motiv_〃　is　repeated　in　this　funeral　march；　I　ask　him　in　return　how　he
expects　otherwise　to　know　who　is　killed？　Will　he　take　the　trouble　to
reflect　that　these　are　the　motives　of　the　_Vorspiel_；　and　that　the　curtain
has　not　yet　risen　on　the　music…drama？

But　why；　he　asks；　do　we　hear　an　undercurrent　of　mirth　pulsating　joyously
through　the　prevailing　sadness　of　this　〃Leichen_Motiv_；〃　or　funeral　march？
Simply　because　we　cannot　be　expected　to　feel　the　same　unmixed　grief　at　the
death　of　a　wife…murderer　as　at　the　death　of　a　wife…preserver！　Ah；　where
shall　we　find　again　so　subtle　a　reading　of　the　throbbing　heart　of　humanity！

The　〃_Schwert_Motiv_〃　mingles　again　with　the　haunting　strains　of　the
half…sad；　half…glad　〃_Leichen_Motiv_；〃　until　the　_Vorspiel_　ends　abruptly
with　a　single　note　of　ineffable　meaning；　thus：

＇Tod　und　Ho'lle　Motiv＇　（off　the　keyboard　to　the　left）

This　is　very　interesting　to　the　student；　and　means　much；　if　it　means
any…thing。　The　sword　of　the　elder　brother；　Mustapha；　has　gone　through
Bluebeard；　if　not　the　swords　of　the　other　Brothers。　This；　you　say；　might
not　have　been　necessarily　fatal；　since　those　hardy　ruffians　of　a　bygone　age
were　proof　against　many　a　stab；　but　in　this　case　the　sword　of　the　heroic
Mustapha　was　accompanied　by　the　killing　〃Schwert　Motiv；〃　consequently　the
villain　is　dead。

But　what　has　become　of　him？　We　have　the　one　clue　only；　which　will　be　known
by　all　students　in　future　as　the　〃_Tod_und_Ho'lle_　_Motiv_；〃　just　given
above：　Bluebeard　has　gone　where　we　will　not　follow　him　unless　we　are
obliged。　Is　this　asserting　too　much？　Alas；　it　is　only　too　evident。　If　it
had　been　Wagner's　intention　to　refer　to　the　glorious　immortality　of　a
godlike　hero；　we　should　have　had　the　exquisite　strains　of　a　heavenly　harp；
thus：　

＇rising　arpeggios＇

or　the　whir　of　angels'　wings；　thus：

＇trills　off　the　right…hand　end　of　the　keyboard＇

And　a　final　significant　note；　thus：

＇a　good　1　？inches　above　the　treble　staff＇　（Stretch　the　keyboard　a　little
if　necessary　and　play　a　half；　if　there　is　not　room　for　a　whole　note。）

whose　piercing　sweetness　and　dizzy　altitude　would　have　symbolized　Heaven；
or　at　least　_Walhalla_。

Alas；　it　is　all　too　plain。　We　have　this：

＇1　inch　below　the　bass　staff＇

enough　in　itself　to　show　his　whereabouts；　and　as　if　that　were　not　enough；
this：

＇_Verdammungs_Motiv_＇　（Allegro　frantico。）　＇2　dissonances；　？and　1　inches
below　the　bass　staff＇

to　show　that　he　is　uncomfortable！

It　will　be　interesting　for　the　student　to　note　the　difference　between　the
〃_Verdammungs_Motiv_〃　of　〃Bluebeard〃　and　the〃　Damnation　Motive〃　of　Wagner's
earlier　opera；　〃Tannha'user。〃

＇Damnation　Motive＇

Both　are　strong；　tragic；　and　powerful；　but　the　sins　of　Bluebeard　are　gross
and　those　of　Tannha'user　subtle；　consequently　the　peril　of　each　is
foreshadowed　in　its　own　way；　it　being　very　clear　that　Bluebeard's　fate　is
final；　while　Tannha'user；　as　we　know；　is　saved　by　the　spiritual　influence
of　Elizabeth；　a　very　different　lady　indeed　from　the　frivolous　and　mercenary
Fatima。


The　plot　of　this　music…drama　itself　is　made　beautifully　clear　by　this
_Vorspiel_　and　lecture…recital；　so　that　even　a　mother　and　child　at　a
matine'e　can　follow　the　tone…pictures　without　difficulty；　but　the　libretto；
which　is　a　remarkable　specimen　of　Wagner's　alliterative　verse；　only　helps
the　more　to　rivet　attention　and　compel　admiration。　I　have　given　you　an　idea
of　the　brief　overture；　and　the　opera　itself　opens　with　a　somber　recitative；
descriptive　or　symbolic　of　the　Dark　Ages　of　Juvenile　Literature。


RECITATIVE

〃The　Dark　Ages　of　Juvenile　Literature　do　not　afford　a　chronicle　of　greater
atrocity！

〃Than　that　furnished　by　a　very　glum；　grim；　gruesome；　gory；　but
connubially…minded　gentleman；　whose　ugly　blue　beard　was　a　perfect
monstrosity！

〃He　also　had　an　unfortunate　predilection　for　leading　unattached　ladies　to
the　altar；　constantly　marrying　wives；　six　wives；　successively　one　after
another；　on　a　regular　railroad　of　matrimonial　velocity！

〃But；　finding　them　_in_toto_；　all　very　so…so；　determined　to　turn　each　one
of　them　into　a　good　woman　by　cutting　off　her　head！

〃As　a　punishment　for　the　most　unmitigatedly　determined　and　persevering
female　curiosity！〃

（With　naivete'）　〃But　to　our　tale！〃

The　〃tale〃　introduces　the　lovely；　luckless　Fatima；　sitting　at　her　cottage
window；　dreaming　the　dreams　of　girl…hood。　She　has　received　Bluebeard's
message　of　love；　and　is　awaiting　his　coming　as　the　hero　of　her　heart's
romance。　This　〃_Traum_〃　theme　is　almost　precisely　like　the　〃Guileless　Fool
Motive〃　of　〃Parsifal；〃　and　the　application　to　Fatima　is　unmistakable。

ARIA

〃Within　sight　of　his　castle；　a　short　hour's　ride；
〃An　impecunious　old　lady　lived；　two　marriageable　and　impecunious　daughters
beside；
〃Whom　Bluebeard　had　seen　and　at　love's　highest　pitch
〃Sent　to　say　he　would　marry；　he　didn't　care　which！
〃Sent　to　say　he　would　marry；　he　didn't　care　which！〃

We　now　have　Bluebeard's　triumphal　journey　toward　Fatima's　cottage；　from
whence　he　is　to　bring　her　as　his　bride。　If　this　brutal　bigamist　had　any
preference　it　was　for　Anne；　Fatima's　younger　sister；　but　he　knew　that　it
was　only　a　matter　of　a　few　weeks　anyway；　so　there　is　not　the　slightest　hint
in　the　music　of　anything　but　the　tempered　joy　with　which　the　accustomed
bridegroom　approaches　the　familiar　altar。

We　have　the　〃Blaubart　Motiv〃　again　here；　and　we　must　not　be　disturbed　to
find　it　heralded　thus：

（noisily　and　fussily：　Repeated　deep　notes）

We　find　the　same　thing　later　on。　This　is　merely　an　introductory　phrase；　the
〃_Losgehenlassen_Motiv_〃　（See　Me　Getting　Ready　to　Go　Motive）。　Here　we　note
Wagner's　sublime　regard　for　truth　and　realism。　Does　Bluebeard　godoes
anybody　gowithout　getting　ready　to　go？　Certainly　not；　yet　they　have　gone
for　years　when…ever　they　liked；　in　the　shiftless　operas　of　the　Italian
school；　without　the　least　preparation。　They　would　even　come　back　before
they　went；　if　it　were　any　more　pleasing；　pictorial；　or　melodious。　It　took　a
heroic　genius　like　that　of　Wagner　to　return　to　the　simple；　eternal　truth　of
things。　We　have　a　striking　example　here　of　Wagner's　power　of　modifying　and
inverting　a　motive；　carrying　it　from　key　to　key；　giving　it　forwards　and
backwards；　upside　down　and　other…end…to；　according　to　the　feeling　he　wishes
it　to　express；　whether　it　be　love；　rage；　desire；　impatience；　ardor；　or　what
not。　The　〃_Losgehenlassen_Motiv_〃　is　simplicity　itself　when　it　first
appears　in　C　major　（see　motive）。　But　Bluebeard's　exits　are　many　partly
because　his　entrances　are　so　numerousand　for　every　exit　this　motive
conveys　a　new　meaning。　Blue…beard　is　always　getting　ready　to　go；　but　with
what　different　purposes　in　mind！　He　goes　for　pastime　and　for　passion；　he
goes　for　wooing　and　for　wantoning；　for　marriage　and　for　murder。　He　goes　in
D　sharp　with　pomp；　pride；　and　power；　and　we　can　distinguish　the　tread　of
his　servants'　feet；　the　clatter　of　arms；　and　the　hurrying　together　of　his
escort　and　retinue。　He　goes　again　in　B　flat　minor；　stealthily　and
unattended；　the　orchestra　giving　the　motive　with　muted　violins　and　subdued
brass。　We　seem　to　hear　naught　but　the　soft　pad…pad　of　his　felt　bedroom
slippers　on　the　marble　steps；　and　we　murmur　to　one　another：　〃What　does　he
propose　to　do　now？

We　have　next　the　〃Dragon；〃　〃Elephant；〃　and　〃Tiger〃　_motive_：　the　〃Dragon
Motive〃　being　intentionally　reminiscent　of　the　one　in　〃Siegfried。〃

There　is　not　in　the　entire　range　of　modern　music　anything　more　impressive
than　this　splendid　journey　of　a　barbaric　prince　toward　his　chosen　victim。