Redemption through Art 93the freedom of mankind. Valhalla, the casde of the gods, goes up in
flames when Brünnhilde returns the ring, the symbol of power, to the
element of water and the innocence of nature. Her actions put an end
to power that has been torn away from love, and the original, just order
of being is reestablished. Preserving this order of being is the task of
human liberty.
The prelude to Das Rheingold\ which was often lauded by Nietzsche,
opens with the famous Ε-flat major triad, the acoustic equivalent of the
origin of all things, namely the turbulent primal element of water.
Nietzsche would return to this musical image of water in his later writ-
ings as well. The flowing, surging element becomes a symbol of the tur-
bulence of life: 'This is how the waves live—just as we live, the
desirers!" (3,546; GS% 310)
Wagner's entire Ring cycle evolves from its first chord. It is possible to
discern the very moment of creativity when the chord symbolizing the
sun follows. The fire of the sun makes the water shine like gold. There
is also gold at the bottom of the water. It is, however, pure beauty, not
something of material value, not part of the fateful succession of power
and possessions, as yet untouched by the greed of exploitation. The
Rhinemaidens guard the treasure by frolicking around it.
Now comes the "black Alberich," a prince of darkness and lord of
the Nibelungs. He has no feeling for the beauty of the treasure. He can-
not leave it as is, and must possess it to enhance his power. He profanes
its value by attempting to exploit it. Heartlessness lies at the root of his
will to exploitation. Alberich must renounce any love he harbors and
prove callous before he is able to carry out the theft of the treasure.
Only a cold heart can capture the metallic treasure.
This opening scene encapsulates the whole conflict of the drama.
The tension between power and love, greed and sacrifice, play and com-
pulsion will define the tetralogy all the way to the finale.
In the realm of the Nibelungs, a ring is fashioned from the treasure
of gold that confers unlimited power on whoever wears it. Clearly,
Wagner intended the Nibelungs to embody the demonic spirit of the