"The Titan conquers, and he feels the hour-- The fated hour--draw near. Above his head The vulture hovers, fearing to approach; While the earth trembles, and the rocks are shaken. Voices are heard from out the gloomy depths." The voices are those of the spirits in the lower regions singing a very melodramatic chorus ("Woe! woe! the sacred Sleep of the Dead has been disturbed"). An _allegro moderato_ for orchestra follows, preluding the approach of Hercules, who bends his giant bow and kills the vulture, strikes the fetters off and bids him "Go hence unto thy Mother's Throne." The scene introduces the seventh number ("All human Foresight wanders in deepest Night"), an expressive and stately male chorus with solo quartet. The last prologue describes the scene at the throne of Themis, the pardon of Prometheus, and her assurance that "Henceforth Olympus smiles upon the Earth." Pallas presents him with a veiled figure as the reward of his heroism, "who will bring to thy race the richest blessing,--Truth." The goddess unveils her and declares her name "Agathea. She brings to man the purest, holiest gift,--Charity." The closing chorus of the Muses follows:-- "Of all bright thoughts that bloom on earth, That raise poor mortals high as heaven, The holiest, the blessedest is Charity. Hail, Prometheus! Hail to mankind!" The Bells of Strasburg. "Die Glocken des Strassburger Münsters" ("The Bells of Strasburg Cathedral") was written in 1874, and is dedicated to the poet Longfellow, from whose "Golden Legend" the composer took his theme for musical treatment. The cantata, however, does not deal with the beautiful legend itself as related by the old minnesinger, Hartmann von Aue, which Longfellow has told so powerfully in his "Christus," but simply with the prologue, describing the futile attempt of Lucifer and the Powers of the Air to tear down the cross of the Strasburg Cathedral during the night storm. It was a subject peculiarly attractive to Liszt, as it offered him free scope for his fancies and unlimited opportunity for the display of his unique and sometimes eccentric orchestration. The work is written for barytone solo and mixed chorus, and is divided into two parts,--a short prelude which is entitled "Excelsior" (_andante maestoso_), and in which this word is several times repeated by the chorus with gradually increasing power from piano to fortissimo; and "The Bells," which comprises the principal part of the work. The second part opens with a massive introduction (_allegro agitato assai_), in which the bells, horns, and trumpets play an important part, leading up to the furious invocation of Lucifer:-- "Hasten! Hasten! O ye spirits! From its station drag the ponderous Cross of iron that to mock us Is uplifted high in air!"