bluebeard-第4章

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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。
No　stage　picture　could　be　more　dazzling　than　the　one　brought　before　the
mind's　eye　in　the　majestic；　munificent　measures　that　herald　the　pageant：

ARIA

〃And　true　to　his　message　the　lover　did　come
With　cymbals　and　horns　and　a　big　Indian　drum！

The　measures　that　follow　these　describe　the　tiger　swinging　on　behind　the
triumphal　cab。　This　is　a　delicious　whimsicality；　and　the　music　is　as　gay
and　sportive　as　anything　in　〃Die　Meistersinger。〃

ARIA

〃And　an　elephant；　huge；　to　his　cab。。。　was　confined。〃。。。。

How　the　character　of　Bluebeard　stands　out　in　these　passagesBluebeard；
morbid；　erotic；　megalophonous　megalomaniac；　with　his　grandiose　air　and
outlandish　accoutrements！

It　seems　odd　that　rumors　of　his　matrimonial　past　had　not　reached　Fatima；
for　the　libretto　tells　us　（authorized　opera…house　edition；　not　the　one　sold
on　the　sidewalk）　that　his　castle　was　only　an　hour's　ride　distant。　In　any
event；　one　would　think　the　sight　of　the　lover's　approach；　with　lions　and
elephants　in　attendance　and　a　tiger　hanging　on　behind　the　chariot；　might
have　shown　Fatima　that；　although　Bluebeard　might　be　admirable　as　an　advance
agent　for　a　menagerie；　he　would　hardly　be　a　pleasant　fireside　companion。
However；　it　was　the　old　story！　Moved　by　love；　ambition；　poverty；　ennui；　or
what　not；　Fatima　lost　her　head；　as　all　Bluebeard's　previous　wives　had　done；
both　before　and　after　marriage；　and　left　the　humble　home　of　her　childhood
for　the　unknown　castle。　Simple　chords　give　us　this　information　thus：

（Semplice；　piano　for　the　Humble　Home；　Agitato；　fortissimo　for　the　Unknown
Castle。）

Then　comes　the　〃_Liebesgruss_Motiv_〃　（Love's　Greeting　Motive）。　No　single
instrument　can　give　this　exquisite　theme。　The　whole　symphony　of　human
nature　seems　to　rise　and　spread　its　wings　in　a　glorious　harmony　of　pairs
and　twos　of　a　kind　melting　in　passionate　octaves　and　triplets。　　　The
groping；　ardent；　distracted；　thwarted；　but　ever　protesting　bass；　set
against　a　coquettish；　evasive；　yet　timidly　yielding　treble；　the　occasional
introduction　of　a　mysterious　minor　in　the　midst　of　a　well…authenticated
major；　gives　us　an　intimation　that　wooing　is　not　an　exact　science。

Next　come　the　〃_Hochzeitsreise_und_Flitter_Wochen_Motive_〃　（The　Bridal　Tour
and　Honeymoon　motives）。　Here　are　harp　_glissandos_；　here　are　voices
soaring；　voices　roaring；　voices　darting；　voices　floating；　weaving　an
audible　embroidery　of　sound。　They　make　up　the　most　exquisitely　tender　scene
of　the　opera；　and　arc　especially　interesting　to　us　in　America；　since　they
are　built　upon　one　of　our　national　songs。　This　can　only　be　regarded　as　a
flattering　recognition　of　our　support　of　German　opera　in　this　country。

ARIA

〃Midst　the　treasures　of　his　palaces；　dee…lighted　to　roam；

〃Sister　Anne　with　fair　Fatima　explored　their　new　home！
〃Home！　Home！　Sweet；　sweet　Home！
〃There's　no　place　like　home　when　a　maid's　too　poor　to　roam！〃

It　is　later　on　in　this　act　that　we　have　the　celebrated　〃Hope　Motive；〃　a
marvelous　series　of　tone…pictures　so　novel　and　sensational　that　many　box…
holders　are　expected　to　drop　in　at　ten…thirty　for　the　excitement　of　this
one　brief　scene。　The　motive　wanders　from　key　to　key；　hoping　that　in　the　end
it　will　hit　off　the　right　one。　Fatima　is　hoping　to　find　her　ideal　in
Bluebeard。　Sister　Anne　is　hoping　to　get　a　handsomer　husband　than　Fatima's；
Blue…beard　is　hoping　that　Sister　Anne　will　be　his　eighth　spouse；　and　hoping
that　there　will　be　room　to　hang　her　in　the　hidden　chamber；　in　which　his
deceased　wives　are　already　pressed　for　room。　All　this　is　reflected　in　the
voices　of　the　singers；　together　with　many　other　emotions。　They　hope　that
they　will　be　able　to　come　in　just　enough　after　or　enough　before；　the　usual
time　of　entrance；　to　rivet　the　conductor's　attention；　that　they　will　be
preserved　from　falling　into　one　another's　parts；　that　they　will　not　be
drowned　by　the　orchestra；　that　they　will　be　able　to　mount　the　dizzying
heights　of　a　precipitous　chromatic　scale　and　manage　an　unrehearsed　descent
in　fifths　on　the　half…notessomething　that　always　causes　intense　joy　in　an
uneducated　audience；　especially　when　it　is　unsuccessful。

This　scene　runs　the　gamut　of　human　emotion。　The　universe　is　mirrored　in　it。
First；　one　of　the　themes　which　we　have　noted；　and　then　another；　is　sounded；
bringing　to　the　bearer's　mind　all　the　crucial　moments　of　Bluebeard's
strange；　perverted；　wife…pursuing　life；　as　well　as　all　the　aspirations　and
disappointments　of　Fatima's　ambitious　but　checkered　career。　All　the　while
that　this　complicated　web　of　motives　is　being　woven　out　of　unresolved
dissonances；　the　thirty　first　violins　keep　on　playing　the　same　three　notes
in　ever…precipitated　rhythms。　This　is　radical；　audacious；　and　effective。
The　notes　are　G　flat；　A　sharp；　and　B　natural；　and　the　world　reels　as　we
hear　them。　Everything　is　ours　in　this　sceneorchestration；　vocalization；
dramatization；　characterization；　gesticulation；　auditory　inflammation；
cacophonation；　demoralization；　adumbration。

There　is　an　abrupt　change　of　key　after　the　〃Honeymoon　Motive〃　from　sweetest
major　to　a