Through the trickery of Hagen, villainous half-brother of Gunther,
Siegfried is slain. His body is lifted tenderly by Gunther’s followers
and carried back to the hall of the Gibichungs. As that happens on the
stage, the orchestra sings out with a giant dirge, lamenting the fall of
the Volsungs while reviewing previous moments in the history of the
tragic race. There is the reference to the love of Siegmund and
Sieglinde from _Die Walküre_. Toward its conclusion the horns and bass
trumpet announce sonorously the motive of Siegfried the hero. There is a
rhythmic variant of the horn call and with the dying away of the music
Brünnhilde is momentarily mentioned.