the saga continues....
Siegfried, part III of Wagner's "Ring Cycle"
Act I
Scene I
The scene opens with the dwarf Mime attempting to forge a new sword for his foster son, Siegfried (the son of the brother/sister pair Siegmund and Sieglinde from Die Walkure). Being the sneaky little bastard that he is, Mime took in Siegfried after Sieglinde's death in order to train him to defeat the dragon Fafnir and win back the Ring. Siegfried barges in with a live bear that he just defeated.
Siegfried: "Look at me! I'm awesome! I cannot be beaten! Mime, where is my new sword?"
Mime: "Here it is. I've been working on it all day."
Siegfried: *breaks sword* "This is shit."
Siegfried knows that the only reason he sticks around with Mime is because he wants to know about his parentage. He forces Mime to tell him all that he knows about his parents, which also leads Mime to show him the broken pieces of his father's sword, Nothung.
Siegfried: "Fix it for me!"
Mime: "I am too weak!"
Siegfried: "Definitely not news to me..." *stomps out of the cave with his temper tantrum*
Scene II
Wotan comes to visit in his guise of the Wanderer. In exchange for the traditional hospitality that is due to all guests, he challenges Mime to a riddle contest. Wotan answers correctly all 3 of the questions that Mime asks him ("What is your name?...What is your quest?...What is the capital of Wiseria?"), but Mime still refuses him hospitality.
For the insult, Wotan makes him answer 3 riddles as well: What is the name of Wotan's favorite race? (the Wolsungs) What is the name of the sword that can destroy Fafnir? (Nothung) Who is the person who can reforge the sword? Mime correctly answers the first 2 questions but misses the third. Wotan reveals that the sword can only be reforged by "
Scene III
Siegfried returns from his pouting and throws another hissy fit when he learns that Mime has made no progress on reforging Nothung. Mime realizes that "he who knows no fear" is Siegfried and he scrambles to convince him that he should be afraid of something. Siegfried decides that he wants to know what fear is about and Mime agrees to take him to see the dragon Fafnir so he can learn. Siggy gets all excited and decides to repair Nothung on his own.
*insert forging song here* *P.S. it's AWESOME*
(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
While Siegfried belts out his forging song, Mime prepares to poison him once he has the ring in his possession. Siegfried finishes Nothung and demonstrates the strength of the new blade by slicing an anvil in half.
Act II
Scene I
Both Wotan and the dwarf Alberich show up at Fafnir's cave, Alberich to try to get the ring back, and Wotan wants to observe the shenanigans that are about to ensue. Wotan wakes up Fafnir from his hibernation for Alberich so he can try to bargain for the ring.
Alberich: "I want the ring back."
Fafnir: "You didn't say the magic word."
Alberich: "Please?"
Fafnir: "Nope."
Alberich: "But someone is coming to kill you for it."
Fafnir: "Bring it on."
And Fafnir goes back to sleep.
Scene II
Siegfried and Mime arrive at the cave and Mime immediately shows his cowardice by leaving Siegfried to face Fafnir alone. Siegfried decides to befriend a little woodbird sitting in a nearby tree and makes several attempts at carving a reed flute to communicate with her.
*insert the most glorious bassoon/English horn/oboe/clarinet solos EVER*
Failing to produce a reasonable sound, he gives up and switches to playing his horn (The Long Call) to communicate with her. In doing so, he wakes up Fafnir. They argue, they fight, and Siegfried kills the dragon. With his dying breath, Fafnir warns him to beware of treachery. Siggy retrieves his sword and accidentally gets some of the dragon's blood on his hand. He brings his hands to his mouth out of reflex and tastes some of the blood, giving him the ability to understand the speech of animals. Per the woodbird's instructions, he pulls the ring and the Tarnhelm from the dragon's horde (see: Opera for the Average Idiot #1: Das Rehingold). Mime reappears and tries to poison our hero, to no avail. His new-found ability to understand animals helps him understand that he has been betrayed and he kills Mime. His little bird friend starts singing about a sleeping woman, surrounded by fire, who would make a perfect wife for him, and they head off into the sunset to find her.
Act III
Scene I
The Wanderer wakes up a very confused Erda and proceeds to tell her:
Wanderer: "I no longer wants to prevent the end of the Gods. I'm cool with it. We can leave the world to Siegfried and Brunnhilde."
Erda: "oh...um...sure...whatever you say..."
Erda is dismissed.
Siegfried arrives and unknowingly sasses his grandfather when he is blocked from reaching Brunnhilde. He breaks Wotan's spear with Nothung and continues on.
Scene II
Siegfried finds the ring of fire and enters to find a figure dressed in armor who he thinks is a man. He removes the armor and is very surprised to find a woman instead.
Keep in mind that up to this point in his life, Siegfried has never actually seen a woman. He chooses this moment to finally be afraid of something (i.e. someone with breasts). He kisses her out of desperation and wakes her up.
Brunnhilde: "I love you!"
Siegfried: "I love you too! Even though I'm your nephew!"
Brunnhilde: "Whatever!"
They renounce the world of the gods, and The End.
