marvelous series of tone…pictures so novel and sensational that many box…
holders are expected to drop in at ten…thirty for the excitement of this
one brief scene。 The motive wanders from key to key； hoping that in the end
it will hit off the right one。 Fatima is hoping to find her ideal in
Bluebeard。 Sister Anne is hoping to get a handsomer husband than Fatima's；
Blue…beard is hoping that Sister Anne will be his eighth spouse； and hoping
that there will be room to hang her in the hidden chamber； in which his
deceased wives are already pressed for room。 All this is reflected in the
voices of the singers； together with many other emotions。 They hope that
they will be able to come in just enough after or enough before； the usual
time of entrance； to rivet the conductor's attention； that they will be
preserved from falling into one another's parts； that they will not be
drowned by the orchestra； that they will be able to mount the dizzying
heights of a precipitous chromatic scale and manage an unrehearsed descent
in fifths on the half…notessomething that always causes intense joy in an
uneducated audience； especially when it is unsuccessful。
This scene runs the gamut of human emotion。 The universe is mirrored in it。
First； one of the themes which we have noted； and then another； is sounded；
bringing to the bearer's mind all the crucial moments of Bluebeard's
strange； perverted； wife…pursuing life； as well as all the aspirations and
disappointments of Fatima's ambitious but checkered career。 All the while
that this complicated web of motives is being woven out of unresolved
dissonances； the thirty first violins keep on playing the same three notes
in ever…precipitated rhythms。 This is radical； audacious； and effective。
The notes are G flat； A sharp； and B natural； and the world reels as we
hear them。 Everything is ours in this sceneorchestration； vocalization；
dramatization； characterization； gesticulation； auditory inflammation；
cacophonation； demoralization； adumbration。
There is an abrupt change of key after the 〃Honeymoon Motive〃 from sweetest
major to a piercing minor。 This is exquisitely sincere and symbolic； though
it is a point too delicate to be perceived save by musicians who have
married but have not been able to hang up their wives。 The libretto goes on
to say：
〃The honeymoon passed when a letter one day
〃Upon urgent affairs called Lord Bluebeard away
〃To inspection； sweet love； all my castle I leave；
〃But remember with this key be on the _qui_vive_！
〃It is not a natural keythink of that！
〃My sword's in the key of one sharp； and that's flat！
〃（Then he half drew his blade； and it was sharp and flat。）〃
From this point the music…drama hastens tragically to a close。 We have
Bluebeard's sudden （and feigned） journey； introduced by a pompous march of
great originality：
MARCH （Pomposo。 Decrescendo。。。。。sempre p pp ppp）
Then we have the fatal curiosity of Fatima and her sister Anne。 We must
extenuate here； nor aught set down in malice； remembering that Wagner knew
only the women of his own day； before the sex was uplifted and purified by
the vote； and he naturally depicted them with the man…engendered vices that
were then a part of their unhappy heritage。 This 〃_Neugierde_Motiv_〃
（Curiosity Motive） is made up of agitated； sharply accentuated sixteenth
notes played with incredible vivacity and culminating in a terrifying
orchestral crash where entrance is made into the hidden chamber； with its
famous tableau so eloquent of the polygamous instinct of man； an instinct
only kept in subjection by the most stringent laws and the most militant
domestic discipline。
ANTI…FEMINIST ARIA
〃But Fatima said； 'To the keyhole let's creep；
〃There can be no harm just in one little peep！
〃We are womenbesides； there are none to behold us！
〃If he wished us to leave it； he shouldn't have told us！'〃
It is these inexcusable lines which have caused the Feminist party to
boycott （and perhaps rightly） any opera…house in which this drama is given；
urging that they contain an insult which can be wiped out only with blood
or ballots。 I sympathize with this feeling； yet； as I said before； there
are extenuating circumstances。 Wagner was born a hundred years ago。 In his
time the hand of woman； though white； was flabby and inert from years of
darning； patching； stirring the pot； buttoning and unbuttoning； feeding and
spanking man's perennial progeny。 He had no conception how that frail hand
would be steadied and strengthened by dropping the ballot into the box； how
curiosity； vanity； parasitic coquetry； lack of logic； overweening interest
in millinery and inability to balance a check…bookhow these weaknesses
would vanish under the inspiring influences of municipal politics；
therefore I feel disposed to forgive him； and to attribute to him； not
absolute and deliberate insult； so much as a kind of patronizing
persiflage。 In this case； however； feminists will say that the great Wagner
undoubtedly and regrettably overreached himself。
Here is just a hint of the theme； a paltry； parasitic； mid…Victorian
motive。
CURIOSITY ARIA
Curiosity conquer'd； the Key was applied；
And with thunder most awful the door opened wide。
Now comes the much discussed 〃Chorus of Headless Wives；〃 which is a
distinct prophecy of Debussy。 You have noted in late musical criticisms
allusions to the 〃ghosts of themes〃 used in 〃Pelleas and Melisande；〃
〃Sound…wraiths wandering in air。〃 Here we have the same thing and employed
with exquisite appropriateness。 The ladies hanging in the secret chamber
are mere bodies； their heads being decidedly off stage。 When the door is
opened the wives begin to sing _a_la'_ Debussy； the ghostly effect being
secured by the fact that it is not； of course； the _present_bodies_； but
the _absent_heads_ that are supposed to be singing。 The melodic wraiths
float from the key of G flatI use 〃key〃 in the old…fashioned sense； for
the word； like the thing itself； is fast disappearingthrough one and four
sharps back to two and three flats； employing all signatures but that of C
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； conside