Solving the "Magic Fire" in Die Walküre
by Paul J. Pelkonen
One of the reasons for the enduring popularity of Die Walküre is the Magic Fire scene which ends the opera. The warrior maiden Brunnhilde is sentenced to punishment by her father Wotan. She is laid to sleep atop a rocky height, and surrounded with fire, a barrier which can only be crossed by the hero Siegfried.
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| The Met's "magic fire" effect in the Robert Lepage production of Die Walküre. Photo by Richard Termine © 2011 The Metropolitan Opera. |
