The Rhinegold (Das Rheingold): Prologue to the Trilogy the Ring of the Nibelung (Vorspiel Zu Der Trilogie Der Ring Des Nibelungen) (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Rhinegold (Das Rheingold): Prologue to the Trilogy the Ring of the Nibelung (Vorspiel Zu Der Trilogie Der Ring Des Nibelungen)

Alberich of the tribe of Nibelungs, a race of cun ning, demoniacal gnomes, who inhabit Nibelheim in the bowels of the earth. Hideous and uncouth, he seeks to win the pleasures of love from the nymphs. But though tantalizing him by their banter, they elude their awkward pur suer, who slips about on the slimy rocks until his gaze is attracted by an increasing brilliance which glows from a rocky eminence. It is the Rhinegold, which presently shines forth daz zlingly in the rays of the rising sun, and around which the maidens circle with joyous shouts. They jeeringly betray to Alberich that he alone who is willing to renounce the pleasures of love, can possess himself of the gold; but that by its possession in the shape of a magic ring he may make himself ruler and lord of the world. Seized with new desire, the Nibelung curses love, which for him is but lust, and scrambling madly up the rock, tears the gold from its bed and disappears in the depths. Night falls again upon the waters, and the Rhinedaughters break forth into wild lamentation. The billows sink, giving way to veils of mist, which, as they clear away, disclose Scene II.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.