Richard Wagner - Siegfried Idyll

- Composer: Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 -- 13 February 1883)
- Orchestra: Münchner Philharmoniker
- Conductor: Sergiu Celibidache
- Year of recording: 1993 (Live in Philharmonie am Gasteig, München)

Siegfried Idyll, symphonic poem for small orchestra in E major, WWV 103, written in 1870.

Apart from the operas, Wagner composed a small number of pieces; this stems from his reluctance to conceive music which didn't belong to the sacredness of the drama, fundamental expression of his thought.

The full title on the original manuscript of Wagner's Siegfried Idyll reads, "Tribschen-Idyll, with Fidi-Birdsong and Orange Sunrise, presented as a symphonic birthday greeting to his Cosima by her Richard, 1870." The "Siegfried" in the title does not refer to the composer's opera of the same name, as is often supposed, but to his infant son, whose pet name was "Fidi." The "orange sunrise" refers to the colour of Cosima's bedroom wallpaper, which brightly reflected the morning light. Though the work is sometimes heard in an arrangement for full orchestra, Wagner originally wrote it for an ensemble of 15 players. Having prepared and rehearsed the work in secret, Wagner gathered his small orchestra on the stairway on Christmas morning, 1870, and awakened Cosima with its first performance (Cosima's birthday was 24 December; the Wagner family celebrated that day and the Christmas holiday together). Afterward, Wagner and Cosima's five children presented her with the score.

As is reflected in the uncharacteristically (for Wagner) modest scoring, the Siegfried Idyll is a particularly intimate work, meant to acknowledge and celebrate the year that Wagner and Cosima could finally legitimize their union. Several stressful years had passed since Cosima had left her first husband, the conductor Hans von Bülow, in 1866. The divorce was finalized at last in 1870, and in August of that year Cosima and Wagner wed.

Wagner wrote Siegfried Idyll while he was occupied with the completing and intial staging of Der Ring des Nibelungen. The music for Siegfried (1856-71), the third part of the cycle, had caused the composer great difficulty; he had set it aside in frustration in 1857, returning to it only in 1869. Wagner borrowed Siegfried Idyll's principal themes from Siegfried and Die Walküre (1854-56), where they have specific meanings within the cycle's system of leitmotives. Within the context in Siegfried Idyll, however, these themes are take on a more general nature as expressions of triumphant love and affection.

Wagner had never intended to publish this work, but financial problems forced him to make it public in 1877.

[zaftra]

Never ceases to amaze how simple this music looks on a score.

[therealrealludwigvanbeethoven]

That ending...

It teems with drama, suspense, and gratification in such an inimitably delightful way!

[davidproudfoot]

What a birthday gift to receive. Aparently the trumpeter done rehearsals in the middle of a lake in order to no give the secret away.Fantastic story for a remarkable piece.

[eugelmusic]

Incredible harmony work. I'm amazed... Moment at 17:42 - 17:47 is like a heart of the whole composition, it is a painful pleasure! I love Wagner and i love how he accents moments of the most beautiful chord and intellectual tension. This music makes me shiver.. it is so human, so close, i'm happy through tears and crying through joy.

[nagihcimekal]

My favorite piece forever; it wrings my heart.

[lyricsronen]

Wow what an incredible piece! So much beauty and longing. You can see here the extent of Wagner's understanding of harmony and its effect on the listener. The phrase that always brings me to tears is starting from 1:00, finally resting at 1:18. What a gorgeous 9th!

[corvinmatei]

Absolutely fantastic. I am short of words! The details, phrasing, tension and expressiveness are very difficult to achieve. He knew what and how to get from the strings unbelievably. Impossible to match this! What a Master.

[johnvalentine]

A beautiful and touching love poem to his beloved Cosima, so expressive of tenderness. Some of the most beautiful chords ever written.

[VallaMusic]

one of the most perfectly magical and beautiful pieces of music ever 2 my ears

[mrtchaikovsky]

It is interesting to see how Wagner incorporated a few leitmotifs from the "Ring":
The music at 0:21 is taken from the love duet between Brünnhilde and Siegfried at the end of "Siegfried".
The sleep-motif from the finale of "Die Walküre" can be heard in the flute at 2:37, followed by slight variations; it returns in the oboe at 14:46.
The horn plays a love-motif from "Siegfried" at 13:38 and reprises it at 19:52.
The figure in the strings at 14:13 is a motif of bliss from the third act of "Siegfried".
The call of the forest bird from the second act of "Siegfried" is used at 15:30, followed by its prophetic warning at 15:35.

In conclusion, Wagner used motifs related to love, peace and nature, as one would deem fitting for a birthday present.

[TheodoreServin]

"Ludwig" (1973) brought me here. There is a beautiful scene in the movie dramatizing that special birthday-Christmas, where an orchestra is really playing on the staircase of the mansion the family was living, and Cosima and her children are awakened by the beautiful orchestral music. It really captures the event wonderfully.

[philipthonemann]

Dear Olla, Remarkably helpful for my study of composition! Many thanks, as always. Philip

[cocoelane]

thank you for your effort to make this video! perfect preparation for tomorrow‘s gig ✨

[JZHerrenberg]

Great performance of a very personal and magical piece.

[diegeigergarnele]

Great last seat dragging at 22:20 😂
I can imagine Celibidache's face as this happened

[italia]

Amazing lovely pastoral sounds from the Great Wagner

[timotheuspeter]

Celibidache‘s tempo is perfect for that kind of „reprise“ section from 18:46 onwards - I have never heard that descending clarinet more poignantly beautiful.

[emilkp]

No todo en Wagner es épica y grandilocuencia. También hay lugar para obras intimistas. El lado más desconocido de un genio

Not all is grandilocuence in Wagner, there is also room for intimist works. The most unknown size of a genius

[leonardosonn]

Geniale interpretazione !!! La migliore che abbia sentito.

[tylerhannsz]

5:20 makes me very emotional and then 17:40 makes me even MORE emotional