Musically this tumult finds expression in a fugue whose chief theme is the =Cudgel Motive=.
From beneath the hubbub of voices--those of the 'prentices and journeymen, delighted to take part in the shindy, of the women who are terrified at it, and of the masters who strive to stop it, is heard the theme of _Beckmesser's_ song, the real cause of the row. This is another of those many instances in which Wagner vividly expresses in his music the significance of what transpires on the stage.
_Sachs_ finally succeeds in shoving the 'prentices and journeymen out of the way. The street is cleared, but not before the cobbler-poet has pushed _Eva_, who was about to elope with _Walther_, into her father's arms and drawn _Walther_ after him into his shop.
The street is quiet. And now, the rumpus subsided and all concerned in it gone, the _Night Watchman_ appears, rubs his eyes and chants his mediæval call. The street is flooded with moonlight. The _Watchman_ with his clumsy halberd lunges at his own shadow, then goes up the alley.
We have had hubbub, we have had humour, and now we have a musical ending elvish, roguish, and yet exquisite in sentiment. The effect is produced by the Cudgel Motive played with the utmost delicacy on the flute, while the theme of _Beckmesser's_ serenade merrily runs after itself on clarinet and bassoon, and the muted violins softly breathe the Midsummer Festival Motive.
Act III. During this act the tender strain in _Sachs's_ sturdy character is brought out in bold relief. Hence the prelude develops what may be called three Sachs themes, two of them expressive of his twofold nature as poet and cobbler, the third standing for the love which his fellow-burghers bear him.
The prelude opens with the Wahn Motive or Motive of Poetic Illusion. This reflects the deep thought and poetic aspirations of _Sachs_ the poet. It is followed by the theme of the beautiful chorus, sung later in the act, in praise of _Sachs_: "Awake! draws nigh the break of day." This theme, among the three heard in the prelude, points to _Sachs's_ popularity. The third consists of portions of the cobbler's song in the second act. This prelude has long been considered one of Wagner's masterpieces. The themes are treated with the utmost delicacy, so that we recognize through them both the tender, poetic side of _Sachs's_ nature and his good-humoured brusqueness. =The Motive of Poetic illusion= is deeply reflective, and it might be preferable to name it the Motive of Poetic Thought, were it not that it is better to preserve the significance of the term Wahn Motive, which there is ample reason to believe originated with Wagner himself. The prelude is, in fact, a subtle analysis of character expressed in music.