第 5 节
作者:使劲儿      更新:2022-08-21 16:33      字数:5159
  major。 Six sets of severed vocal organs meandering in space would hardly
  use the natural key!
  Then we have the opening of the mysterious door; the unexpected return of
  Bluebeard; the hysterics of the ill…fated sisters; with plenty of shrieking
  and swooning motives; and then the celebrated 〃_Hammelfleisch_〃 or 〃Mutton〃
  motive; where Sister Anne; from her post in the high tower; observes for a
  long time nothing but sheep。
  〃But; alas! Sister Anne; only saw a few sheep; then; nothing!〃
  Now  there is the thrilling and opportune arrival of the Brothers on their
  high horses; the mortal combat; the death of the villain by the
  〃_Schwert_Motiv_〃; the joyous funeral march; and then the superb duet
  between Mustapha; the eldest brother; and Fatima; the ill…fated heroine。 We
  get astonishing color contrasts in the last scene; as each character is
  allotted a different set of instruments as accompaniment。 Bluebeard has six
  sackbuts; a trumpet; a _viol_d'amore_; and a Chinese temple gong; Fatima;
  three lutes; an arch…lute; and a pianola; Mustapha a bass…drum and a
  harpsichord; and Sister Anne a pair of virginals。 (An exquisite touch;
  this!) To Bluebeard's servants are allotted barrel…organs; accordions;
  jews'…harps; mandolins; bagpipes; and triangles。 All this gives a tonal
  splendor that simply beggars description。
  When the combat is over and Bluebeard's immense body is prone and lifeless
  in the dust; Wagner suddenly leaves tragedy and gives us a melodious duet
  between the brother and sister on the theme: 〃What can equal a brother's
  love?〃 This duet and _finale_ unite to form a masterpiece; a deserved
  rebuke to any cynic who may consider that Wagner could not adopt the
  enervating methods of the Italian school if he desired。 His cadenzas here
  are miracles of compressed technique; and; although the melody is
  conventional; the music itself is never for a moment simple or
  intelligible。
  Suggested arrangement of orchestra for presentation of Bluebeard
  First violins (union)       Prompter's Private       First violins (non…union)
  Parlour
  _____________________
  Conductor
  ______________________________________________________________________________
  Organ                       Horns  Flutes Harps                       Pianola
  Second Violins
  ______________________________________________________________________________
  Lutes                                                          Mandolins
  Arch Lutes            Kettledrums         Battery              Zithers
  Mouth Organs            Megaphones        Chinese Temple Gong  Guitars
  Double Bassoons                                                Banjos
  ______________________________________________________________________________
  Tuba  Trombones                Woodwinds                       Drums
  Bagpipes                       Sackbuts                        Triangles
  Virginals                      Viol d'Amore                    B…flat Cornet
  Exit to Fire Escape                                           Accordions
  Fatima; singing actress (whose part here is written almost entirely in
  appoggiaturas); and Mustapha; baritone; hold the stage; the one who draws
  the largest salary occupying the center and the other standing wherever he
  can find room。 Mustapha; taking care to descend as low in his scale as
  Fatima ascends high in hers; and vying with her in exceeding the
  speed…limit; sings 〃Oh ra…ha…ha…hap…ture !〃 several times; varied by 〃What
  can e…he…he…he…qual a brother's love?〃 Then; using the same words; they
  sing as much as possible in unison to the end of the scene; which closes
  with a fantasy of capricious arabesques and a series of trills on notes
  seldom heard from any but the high…est…priced human lips。
  Ah! What joy!。。。。。What rap…ture! What can e…qual a brother's love?
  Oh joy!。。。。。。。。Oh joy!。。。。。。。。。Oh; joy!。。。。。。。。
  (Cadenza according to the skill of the performer。)
  Whether Wagner followed the Italian school in this case in sarcasm; or
  because he believed it was fitting; considering the subject; can never be
  known (though we remember that he was at one time a great admirer of
  Bellini); but the result is a melodious and restful ending to a tragedy
  which; were it carried to the end in unbroken gloom; mystery; and carnage;
  would be too terrible and too vast for human endurance and human
  comprehension。 Yet let us be just! The libretto is full of barbaric
  brutalities; it is replete with blood and carnage; but; although Bluebeard
  was emphatically not a nice person; and his vices cannot be condoned; and
  although Fatima was wrong in marrying for an establishment and most
  culpable in yielding to her curiosity; still; virtue triumphs in the end。
  The story; as a whole; is fairly murmurous with morality; sending young men
  and women to their homes impressed with the risks and snares involved in
  bigamy and polygamy; and giving them an added sense of the security and
  gravity of the marriage tie when sparingly used。
  End