Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: opera
Song Meaning of “Wagner: Rienzi, WWV 49, Act 1 Scene 2: No. 2, Terzett, “O Schwester, sprich, was dir geschah” (Rienzi, Irene, Adriano)” by Richard Wagner
“O Schwester, sprich, was dir geschah” from Richard Wagner’s opera Rienzi is an emotional trio between brothers Rienzi and Adriano and their sister Irene. Through this trio, the siblings demonstrate their strong familial bond and touch on the theme of home.
The brothers are desperate for news of their beloved sister and demand to know what has happened to her. Irene’s sorrowful story is expressed through her haunting melody as she reveals how her family was destroyed by strife between her father and his oppressors. Rienzi and Adriano, her loyal brothers, console her pain with a tender, yet sorrowful counterpoint, echoing Irene’s grief.
This scene is an emotional reminder of the bond between siblings and of the importance of home. Despite their father and Irene’s strife, Rienzi and Adriano remain devoted and loving towards their sister.
This trio, with its heartbreaking melody and touching lyrics, speaks of the comfort of family in times of hardship and pain. In the threesome’s sorrowful melody, listeners can feel the struggle of distant worlds finally reunited by love.