故事背景1：
水女神奏鸣曲的目的并不是想把整个古老故事说出来, 而是想用不同的和不断改变的长笛音色,起伏,装饰音和长笛与钢琴之间的对唱来表达故事中人物的感受和情感。
古老的故事大约是这样子的:
Undine(安汀)是水底世界里的一个很有权力的王子的女儿,她出生时美丽漂亮,她爸爸很喜欢她并想她成为永远不死的水女神,她爸爸知道要达成这只有令她得到一个凡人的真爱,于是她爸爸偷偷地把一对渔民夫妇刚出生的女儿换掉,让Undine变成他们的女儿,并指派Undine的叔叔Kuhleborn(水使者)暗中看护她的成长。
而渔民夫妇刚出生的女儿Berthalda则被丢在很远的海边,后来被一对贵族夫妇收养成为贵族千金小姐。很多年之后, Huldebrand——一个年轻的骑士，爱上了这千金小姐Berthalda,并向她求爱。但Kuhleborn(水使者)故意安排Huldebrand(年轻的骑士)来渔民的渔村,他见到比他未婚妻更漂亮的Undine(安汀-将来的女水神),马上深深地爱上了她,并立刻和Undine在当地结了婚并带Undine回他的骑士城堡居住。
千金小姐Berthalda知道后很伤心,但没有办法只好接受,并和Undine成为好朋友,Undine并且接她到城堡来居住. 一段时间之后,
骑士对Undine失去了兴趣,又开始对城堡里的千金小姐Berthalda有兴趣, 并有点看不起Undine的出身,经常对Undine发脾气等等,
Undine伤心过度离开,回到水世界,走的时候Undine告诫她老公不要变心,不然他就会死!
但骑士不听Undine的告诫,和千金小姐结了婚,就在洞房之夜Undine突然出现,紧紧地抱住骑士令他断气死去(这是水世界的规矩)。
故事背景2：
第二个故事背景是Trevor Wye大师写的，分乐章讲解更有利于大家把握感情：
1st MOVEMENT: A 'water spirit', by name, Undine, who is the Daughter of the King
of the Sea [Neptune?], is more lovely than any earthling - and longer lived. It
is possible for her to become immortal if only she could marry a mortal. The
opening themes show the height and depth of water with cascades, waves and fluid
motion. The falling phrase shows Undine's strong desire to unite with a
mortal...and her quick changes of mood! The grace notes, and tremolos are
splashes and movement of water.
第1乐章: 一个水精灵, 叫Undine(安汀), 她是海神的女儿,
比人间任何女子都漂亮。如果她可以和凡人结婚，她将得到永生(成为水女神)。开始的主题是一连串上下起伏的波涛，显示出大浪和海水的动作。下降的乐句代表了Undine的强烈欲望想和凡人结为夫妻……也显示了她容易改变的心情!
那些倚音和颤音其实是浪花和水的抖动。
2nd MOVEMENT: Intermezzo: Undine leaves the sea to fulfil her desire for
immortality and to search for a mate. She is discovered on the sea shore by a
fisherman and his wife, who take her home and raise her like their own daughter.
They find her rather odd, though - often naughty and with quick changes of mood.
A passing handsome knight, Huldebrand, sees her and falls in love with her,
though he is already engaged to a courtly lady. Undine's unpredictable
capricious nature is illustrated by the mocking jumpy opening and, in the vivace
- by the angry response by the old couple to her behaviour. The slow gentle
melody illustrates the pure and virginal love that Undine has for Huldebrand.
第2乐章: 插曲:
Undine为了完成她的心愿,离开海洋去找她的另一半。在岸边，她被渔民老夫妇救起，并收养了她，把她当做亲女儿。但渔民老夫妇发现她长大后很古怪,经常会淘气，心情也经常改变(变幻莫测)。一个经过的骑士Huldebrand看上了她，并爱上了她,虽然他已有个温文儒雅的未婚妻.
Undine擅变、任性、变幻莫测的本性，由乐章中的嘲弄的和跳动的开头表现了出来。而Vivace活跃的句子就代表了渔民老夫妇对Undine这些古怪行为的愤怒指责。那些慢、弱近乎行板的旋律就代表了Undine对她新丈夫Huldebrand初恋时纯洁的爱。
3rd MOVEMENT: On her wedding night Undine confesses to her husband that she is a
'spirit' and thanks him for marrying her and offers to free him now that she has
her immortal soul. But he swears undying love for her and then begins a tender
love dialogue between them - the duet between piano and flute. Huldebrand
introduces her to the Court where she is thought to be 'different'. Huldebrand's
scheming, arrogant ex-fiance enters and Undine chooses her as her best friend!
Undine's uncle appears to her one night to wish her well but warns her that the
proud Water Spirits will suffer no insult to her: she will be taken by them back
to the sea. Also he gives a warning - should Huldebrand prove unfaithful, only
his death will satisfy the spirits' vengeance. [Threats appear in the Molto
Vivace section].
第3乐章: 在她新婚之夜，Undine向她丈夫承认她其实是水精灵，她感谢他肯娶她为妻，
她已成为了永生不死的水女神，她说她可以离开了，骑士也可以离开她。但骑士发誓非常爱她，永远会陪住她一起。一段爱的对话(乐章)开始了——是段钢琴和长笛的对话。骑士Huldebrand带Undine回宫廷，但宫廷里的人觉得Undine很不寻常，都歧视她，骑士之前的自大的未婚妻，带着阴谋来到，和Undine友好，Undine选择和她成为好朋友了！Undine的叔叔(水使者)在一个晚上来见Undine，祝她幸福，并且警告她水世界要她回去，不能让她在凡间逗留。同时警告说，如果她的骑士丈夫Huldebrand有一天变心或不忠的话,
水世界的精灵会令他死去的——这段威胁/警告的气氛在Molto Vivace'极活跃'的乐段中显示了出来。
4th MOVEMENT: - Finale: Huldebrand isn't able to settle down to married life
with his strange wife and is drawn back to his former fiance - and begins to
mistreat his wife. Whilst on holiday in a boat, Huldebrand and Undine have a row
and Undine - furious - jumps into the sea. Huldebrand is desolate and turns to
his former fiancee for solace who comforts him and agrees to marry him. On their
wedding day, Undine appears before him weeping and kisses him to exact the
penalty sworn by the Water Spirits... and so claims his life. At his funeral, a
shadowy weeping figure appears and joins the mourners. After he is buried, the
figure disappears and in her place appears a spring of water from which two
streams emerge to encircle the grave in an endless loving embrace.
第4乐章: 终结曲: 骑士Huldebrand终于不甘现状，也无法忍受妻子Undine的古怪行为，开始移情于他的前任未婚妻，同时开始对Undine很不好(可能打骂吧)。有一天，两夫妻Huldebrand和Undine去海边度假。一起划船时，Undine愤怒地跳入海中，回到水中世界。骑士Huldebrand觉得孤寂，回到前任未婚妻的身边，未婚妻安慰和慰藉她，并同意和他结婚。在他们的婚礼那天，Undine突然出现了在骑士面前，哭泣并且亲吻他，令他马上死去，完成了水精灵世界的规矩……在骑士的葬礼中，一个哭泣的影子出现在人群之中。在骑士埋葬之后，这影子消失了。在坟墓上方的小山突然流下两条小溪泉，在坟墓旁边溶合一起成为一团溪水，永远围绕住坟墓流去，代表了他们永恒的爱，他们拥抱在一起。
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