Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: opera
Song Meaning of “Das Rheingold, WWV 86A / Scene 3: “Vergeh, frevelnder Gauch!”” by Richard Wagner
This song is about the consequences of greed and human vanity. The lyrics speak of a character in the opera, Wotan, who is scouring the Rhine River for a precious gold that will help him gain control over the gods. In this scene, the gods confront him and demand that he repent of his crime and turn from his greed.
The heavy bass and hypnotic violins in this song are meant to invoke a feeling of awe and fear as Wotan faces the wrath of the gods. We are meant to feel the tension and the gravity of the situation as an orchestra of voices cry out sternly in the chorus: “Away, wicked gaucho!”
The song serves to emphasize how wrong it is to chase after something so intangible and fleeting as power and wealth in an attempt to gain control and influence. The gods’ warning to Wotan to turn from his misconduct is powerful and humbling, and serves as a warning to all of us to guard against our vanity and greed.