Wagner's Das Rheingold

Lose yourself in the legendary world of Richard Wagner’s epic four-part saga Der Ring des Nibelungen, one of opera’s most towering achievements, first performed as a cycle 150 years ago in 1876 and presented here in a magnificent Zürich Opera House staging described by Bachtrack as “dramatic music-making at its finest.” Conductor Gianandrea Noseda and stage director Andreas Homoki’s polished and imaginative production underscores the profound humanity of a “dysfunctional family of gods” (The Independent) brought to life by an exceptional cast that includes Klaus Florian Vogt, Tomasz Konieczny, Camilla Nylund, and Christopher Purves.

Der Ring des Nibelungen draws inspiration from Norse mythology and Germanic legend. In this original cycle, the composer (and librettist) crafted a grand operatic universe based on the extraordinary tale of a cursed ring and its role in the life and actions of gods, mortals, and other beings. But what exactly is a Nibelung? Think of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and you’re not far off. Both Wagner and Tolkien were inspired by similar sources, and both their stories revolve around a coveted treasure that inevitably brings doom to its bearer. In the prologue Das Rheingold, t, we see how the desperate dwarf-like creature Alberich steals the gold from the Rhine river and forges the ring. This ring is later taken by Wotan, king of the gods, thus setting in motion the turbulent journey of the Ring of the Nibelung and all those who bear it…