Richard Wagner
Libretto by Richard Wagner

Eve of "Der Ring des Nibelungen"
The unsullied enchantment of E-flat major harmonies in the initial bars of Das Rheingold doesn’t last very long. Instead, a world comes into being; a world that fifteen hours of music later will be unable to stave off its own downfall. In this world, nature is violated, and laws are ignored. Greed, power and malediction are the order of the day. Alberich steals the gold from the Rhine Maidens, enslaves his workers and revels in the sweet smell of world domination. Wotan claims it for himself and joins forces with Loge to make off with the ring, the gold and the magic helmet. His construction project is envisioned as the foundation of existence for his family of gods – his wife objects. He must part with the accursed ring as payment to the two giants. Seething with envy, one giant murders the other. The glow of the gods’ castle first gleams after the tempest, but Loge sees the castle already headed for ruin. The threads of the tale get tangled in this eve of the tetralogy, the water loses its sheen, and the clouds are shrouded in darkness.

In German with German surtitles

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Cast

Conductor Kent Nagano
Production Andreas Kriegenburg
Set Harald B. Thor
Costumes Andrea Schraad
Lighting Stefan Bolliger
Choreography Zenta Haerter
Dramaturgy Marion Tiedtke
Miron Hakenbeck

Wotan Johan Reuter
Donner Levente Molnár
Froh Thomas Blondelle
Loge Stefan Margita
Alberich Wolfgang Koch
Mime Ulrich Reß
Fasolt Thorsten Grümbel
Fafner Phillip Ens
Fricka Sophie Koch
Freia Aga Mikolaj
Erda Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Woglinde Eri Nakamura
Wellgunde Angela Brower
Floßhilde Okka von der Damerau

The Bavarian State Orchestra

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