glinda on her swift
horse Grane, which bears both through the clouds.

In the third scene we find the Walkyries, arriving through the clouds
on horseback one after the other. Every-one has a hero lying before
her in the saddle. It is their office to carry these into Walhalla,
while the faint-hearted, or those of mankind, not happy enough to fall
in battle, are doomed to go to "Hel" after their death.

There are eight Walkyries without Bruennhilde, who comes last with
Sieglinda in her saddle, instead of a hero. She implores her sisters
to assist her and the unhappy woman. But they refuse, fearing Wotan's
wrath. Then she resolves to save Sieglinda and to brave the results of
her rash deed alone. She first summons back to the despairing woman
courage and desire to live, by telling her, that she bears the token of
Siegmund's love; then sends her eastward to the great forest with
Grane, where Fafner the giant, changed into a dragon, guards the
Rhinegold and the ill-fated ring, a spot which Wotan avoids.

{348}

She gives to Sieglinda the broken pieces of Siegmund's sword, telling
her to keep them for her son, whom she is to call Siegfried and who
will be the greatest hero in the world.

Wotan arrives in thunder and lightning. Great is his wrath, and in
spite of the intercession of the other Walkyries, he deprives
Bruennhilde of her immortality changing her into a common mortal. He
dooms her to a long magic sleep, out of which any man, who happens to
pass that way may awaken her and claim her as his property.

Bruennhilde's entreaties, her beauty and noble bearing at last prevail
upon him, so that he encircles her with a fiery wall, through which
none but a hero may penetrate.

After a touching farewell the God, leading her to a rocky bed, closes
her eyes with a kiss, and covers her with shield, spear and helmet.
Then he calls up Loge, who at once surrounds the rock on which
Bruennhilde sleeps, with glowing flames.

ZAMPA.

Opera in three acts by HEROLD.

Text by MELLESVILLE.

This opera has met with great success both in France and elsewhere; it
is a favorite of the public, though not free from imitating other
musicians, particularly Auber and Rossini. The style of the text is
somewhat bombastic, and only calculated for effect. Notwithstanding
these defects {349} the opera pleases; it has a brilliant introduction,
as well as nice chorus-pieces and cavatinas.

In the first act Camilla, daught