Rackham's Color Illustrations for Wagner's `Ring`

Arthur Rackham, James Spero

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780486319001
• Topic: Arte
• Subtopic: Arte europea

`His pictures, which seemed to me then [aged 13] to be the very music made visible, plunged me a few fathoms deeper into my delight. I have seldom coveted anything as I coveted that book.` — C.S. Lewis
Before portraying Wagner's `Ring,` Arthur Rackham (1867–1939) had become England's leading illustrator through his interpretations of fairy and fantastic books: Grimm's Fairy Tales, Rip van Winkle, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, A Midsummer-Night's Dream. With his insight into elves, twisted oaks, and bearded heroes, Wagner was the logical step: with the `Ring,` Rackham brought his talent for ethereal watercolor and line into new realms of adult mythology.
This edition reproduces, in full color, all 64 watercolor illustrations from Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods (1911) and The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie (1912). The original English and American editions also contained black-and-white vignettes and tailpieces, a selection of which appear here: the original text, a dated English translation of the libretto, has been replaced by comprehensive descriptive captions and an introduction by James Spero.
Rackham poured all his mature fancy into the `Ring.` The gnarled Nibelung Alberich sports with teasing Rhinemaidens, fiery Loge and lordly Wotan tussle with giants and serpents. An ecstatic Brünnhilde is finally consumed on Siegfried's funeral pyre in perhaps the most successful representation of this scene anywhere, either graphically or theatrically. Wagner's Teutonic forests and caves give Rackham free reign for his brooding, haunting nature backgrounds; characters, costumes, and all the tiny details are painted with such textual accuracy and empathy that today's opera companies who wish to return to staging the `Ring` in the traditional manner turn to Rackham's paintings for guidance.
The painstaking reproduction of these artworks brings Arthur Rackham's most heroic visions to the many collectors and admirers who cannot obtain the expensive out-of-print editions. With the aid of the clear captions, the Wagnerian cycle may be followed once again in its most time-honored and rich interpretation.

THE PLATES

The three Rhinemaidens—Woglinde, Wellgunde and Flosshilde—frolic in the depths of the mighty River Rhine. It is their task to guard the Rhinegold. In the waters the gold is pristine ore; taken and fashioned into a ring, it would confer on the wearer measureless power. But to be able to seize the gold, a person must first renounce love. The Rhinemaidens are sure no one would be willing to make such a sacrifice.

From a fissure in a rock appears Alberich, one of the Nibelungs, a race of dwarfs who dwell beneath the earth. He falls desperately in love with the alluring Rhinemaidens, who tease him heartlessly.

Infuriated by the Rhinemaidens’ taunts, Alberich climbs the rock for the Rhinegold.

Alberich steals the Rhinegold and rushes off, plunging the waters into darkness.

Freia, the goddess of youth, grows apples which keep the gods eternally young. Wotan, the chief god, has offered her to the giants Fasolt and Fafner as payment for building the fortress Walhalla, never thinking that they could accomplish the task. This they have done, and Wotan desperately tries to offer other payment. He is refused.

Loge, the god of fire and mischief, tells the other gods that he has seen the Rhinemaidens, who told him of the gold’s theft and implored him to have Wotan recover it and return it to their safekeeping.

Hearing of the Rhinegold, Fasolt and Fafner decide that it would make an acceptable substitute for Freia. Charging Wotan to steal the gold and have it on hand by evening, they carry off Freia.

Without Freia in their midst, the gods immediately begin to age.

In a cavern, Alberich, having forged the ring, has compelled his brother Mime to fashion the magical Tarnhelm, a cap that allows its wearer to change his form or become invisible.

Putting on the Tarnhelm, Alberich is rendered invisible, terrifying Mime.

Alberich has wielded his incredible power, enslaving the Nibelungs and forcing them to mine gold and fashion it into a great treasure.

Loge and Wotan visit Alberich, who brags of his powers. Putting the Tarnhelm on his head, he turns himself into a huge serpent. When Loge asks Alberich if he can also turn himself into something small, the dwarf becomes a toad. Loge and Wotan quickly seize him and carry him away.

Alberich is held for ransom. He summons the Nibelungs, who surrender the golden hoard. Wotan forces Alberich to give up the ring as well. Shattered, Alberich curses the ring—may its wearer be doomed! The giants Fasolt and Fafner return with Freia, and order that the treasure be stacked up high enough to block her from their sight.

But a chink remains in the pile through which they can see Freia. They tell Wotan to fill it with the ring which he is wearing. He refuses, wanting to keep it and its power for himself. Erda, the all-knowing earth goddess, suddenly appears and admonishes Wotan to give up the ring. Warning him that the race of the gods is doomed, she disappears.

Wotan surrenders the ring and Freia is returned. As the two giants argue over the division of the treasure, Fasolt puts on the ring. He is immediately slain by Fafner, who takes the ring and the entire hoard and leaves.

The atmosphere has become heavy and oppressive. To clear the skies, Donner, god of weather, creates a thunderstorm by swinging his hammer.

The clouds clear, revealing a rainbow that spans the Rhine between the mountain on which the gods are standing and Walhalla. Ignoring the Rhinemaidens’ lamentation for their lost gold, the gods cross the rainbow and enter the castle.

Wounded and fleeing his enemies through a storm, Siegmund, the son of Walse, seeks refuge in a hut. He is given refreshment by Sieglinde, the wife of cruel Hunding. A tree grows in the hut. In its trunk is a sword that no one has ever been able to remove.

As Sieglinde serves a meal to Hunding and Siegmund, Siegmund tells of his life. His mother had been slain, his sister carried off as a child. His father had later disappeared. Siegmund himself has just been wounded while vainly trying to rescue a girl being wed against her wishes.

Siegmund’s enemies turn out to be Hunding’...