Das Rheingold; Scene IV, Erda's Warning: Weiche, Wotan, Weiche (contralto) Cover Image

Das Rheingold; Scene IV, Erda's Warning: Weiche, Wotan, Weiche (contralto): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

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Das Rheingold; Scene IV, Erda's Warning: Weiche, Wotan, Weiche (contralto) Cover Image
Das Rheingold; Scene IV, Erda's Warning: Weiche, Wotan, Weiche (contralto): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Das Rheingold; Scene IV, Erda's Warning: Weiche, Wotan, Weiche (contralto): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

By Richard Wagner

Item: 36-A394302
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Description
Das Rheingold, WWV 86A, is the first of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen,. It was performed, as a single opera, at the National Theatre Munich on 22 September 1869, and received its first performance as part of the Ring cycle at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, on 13 August 1876. This excerpt, intended for concert performance with contralto voice and orchestra, is from Scene 4 where the goddess of the earth, Erda, warns Wotan to give up the cursed ring he seized from Alberich.

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 654690664747
SKU: 36-A394302
Instrumentation: 3+1, 3+1, 3+1, 3 - 4, 0, 4, 1, timp, str, solo A

More about this title

About the Composer: Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner (1813–1883) fundamentally transformed operatic and orchestral music through his innovations in harmony, orchestration, and dramatic structure. His development of the leitmotif—recurring musical themes associated with characters, objects, and ideas—created unprecedented narrative depth in large-scale works. Wagner's influence on band and orchestral arrangers remains profound; his harmonic language expanded what composers and conductors understood as possible within ensemble writing.

Why we love this

This excerpt captures one of Wagner's most dramatically urgent moments in miniature. Erda's warning contains some of his most distinctive orchestration and harmonic writing, and programming it for concert band gives audiences access to a canonical work they might otherwise only hear in full operatic context. The solo contralto line sits idiomatically for voice while remaining deeply integrated with the ensemble, making it an excellent choice for conductors seeking substantial yet manageable crossover repertoire.

What to expect

Urgent and foreboding. Erda's warning carries supernatural gravity—there is weight in the orchestration, a sense of inevitability tinged with ancient knowledge. The contralto voice cuts through a shifting harmonic landscape that feels both lush and destabilizing, capturing the moment when fate presses itself upon an unsuspecting protagonist.

Who it's for

Concert band directors programming mature repertoire that includes a capable contralto soloist. This arrangement works for advanced ensembles comfortable with Wagner's chromatic idiom and conductors seeking legitimate operatic material at concert band level. It appeals to audiences familiar with classical canon and those encountering Wagner's dramatic voice for the first time.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the contralto soloist with the band carefully during the warning section; the vocal line must project clearly without sacrificing the rich harmonic support underneath.
  • Attend to Wagner's dynamic shaping and the orchestration's internal balance. Sustained notes in lower brass often carry harmonic weight that should be heard, not buried.
  • Shape the phrasing in long arcs rather than measure-by-measure. This excerpt's power comes from building tension across complete musical ideas, not punctuating individual phrases.

How to use it

This works beautifully as a concert centerpiece, either alone or paired with other substantial band arrangements of classical or operatic repertoire. It can anchor a program exploring Wagner's orchestral genius or serve as a bridge between symphonic and theatrical repertoire. Program it where audiences expect depth and where your soloist and ensemble can command full attention.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing soloists with ensemble accompaniment
  • Shaping long harmonic phrases across multiple measures
  • Executing Wagner's chromatic voice leading with clarity
  • Responding to complex internal orchestration without losing structural coherence

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