Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: opera
Song Meaning of “Siegfried / Zweiter Aufzug: “Meine Mutter, ein Menschenweib!”” by Richard Wagner
“Meine Mutter, ein Menschenweib!” (My mother, a human woman) from the second act of Richard Wagner’s opera Siegfried is an aria sung by Siegfried to a woodpecker. It conveys the heartfelt longing that Siegfried has for his long lost mother, who was taken away from him when he was dying at a young age.
The lyrics are an expression of the intense grief and sorrow that Siegfried feels at being denied the chance to be raised and nurtured by his mother’s love. He is a symbol for all children who yearn to be reunited with their mothers and the song reflects a universal longing for that reunification. Despite its rather unique setting, the song speaks to the deep sadness and loneliness experienced by a child without his mother’s love and how powerful that yearning can be.
The emotional sentiment of the piece is further enhanced by Wagner’s sweeping music. Scored for strings and woodwinds, the mix of somber yet soaring melodies evoke images of longing and sadness. The combination of the lyrics and the music result in a deeply moving piece that speaks to the heart of anyone who yearns for the return of a lost loved one.
“Meine Mutter, ein Menschenweib!” captures and expresses the depths of Siegfried’s grief for his mother, a grief that is shared by many of us.