In which of the following excerpts from Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) can you hear the “Ride” leitmotif?

Excerpt 1

Excerpt 2

Question

In which of the following excerpts from Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) can you hear the “Ride” leitmotif?

Excerpt 1

Excerpt 2

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The prompt asks about which excerpts from Wagner’s Die Walküre contain the “Ride” leitmotif, but the provided data shows no actual list of answer options to evaluate, only a statement that the correct answer is "both excerpts." This means we cannot perform a standard option-by-option analysis against explicit choices since the choices themselves are missing.

What we can discuss is how one would approach this question if the excerpts were available. The Ride of the Valkyries leitmotif is a distinctive, brassy, urgent motive associated with the Valkyries and their horse-like, forward-driving energy. When listening for it in any excerpt, you’d look for:
- A brisk tempo or propulsion suggesting motion or riding.
- Prominent brass or brass-like sonorities, sometimes with interlocking rhythms that evoke marching or galloping.
- A short, energetic melodic fragment that recurs with variants in different parts of the excerpt.
- Harmonic or timbral cues that align with the familiar Ride motif’s character, even if the texture is denser or reorchestrated.

If both excerpts indeed contain passages where these features are audible, you would reasonably conclude that both contain the Ride motif. If only one excerpt showed the characteristic brisk propulsion, brass emphasis, and recurring motif, you would conclude that only that excerpt contains the Ride leitmotif. If neither excerpt clearly presents those features, then neither would illustrate the motif.

The fact that the provided answer says "both excerpts" suggests that, in the source material from which this question was drawn, each excerpt includes moments identifiable as the Ride leitmotif, even if the exact musical texture differs between excerpts (e.g., one excerpt might present a direct, unembellished rendition while the other reorchestrates or fragments it).

Potential misconceptions to avoid:
- Assuming the Ride motif appears only in gigantic, full orchestral climaxes; it can appear in smaller concerted moments too.
- Mistaking other fast or heroic figures in the score for the Ride motif; not every brisk, loud figure is the Valkyrie ride motif.
- Relying solely on tempo to identify the motif; timbre, rhythm, and motive shape are crucial cues.

In summary, given the answer cue provided, the reasoning would align with the idea that both excerpts contain the Ride leitmotif, provided that each excerpt includes the defining energetic, forward-driving motif with characteristic brass timbre or its recognizable rhythmic signature.

MUS101 #41084 Online (4/14/25 - 6/08/25) Listening Quiz 7 Chapters 41 through 47, minus chapters 41 and 47

In which of the following excerpts from Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) can you hear the “Ride” leitmotif? Excerpt 1 Excerpt 2

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Which musical technique allows a composer to show what an operatic character is thinking even though something else is being said in the text?

What 21st-century movie uses the Lietmotiv technique?

In Symphonie Fantastique, Berlioz uses this term for a musical theme that appears in all five movements called:

In the final scene of Die Walküre, Wagner uses a leitmotif to introduce a character who has not even been born.

In which of the following excerpts from Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) can you hear the “slumber” leitmotif? Excerpt 1 Excerpt 2

In which of the following excerpts from Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) can you hear the “magic fire” leitmotif? Excerpt 1 Excerpt 2

In Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, the idée fixe

(Q009) What is one thing that distinguishes Wagner’s leitmotives from typical melodic material?

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler