Opera
Der Ring des Nibelungen

Das Rheingold

The Rhinegold
Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883)
Sung in German, with surtitles
Libretto: by the composer
Premiere: 1869 in Munich

Gloria Rehm
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Gerd Grochowski
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Ensemble, Jugendchor des Hessischen Staatstheaters Wiesbaden
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Margarete Joswig
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Betsy Horne, Aaron Cawley, Albert Pesendorfer, Jugendchor des Hessischen Staatstheaters Wiesbaden
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Gloria Rehm, Marta Wryk, Thomas de Vries
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Margarete Joswig, Gerd Grochowski
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Albert Pesendorfer, Young Doo Park
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Margarete Joswig, Benjamin Russell, Jugendchor des Hessischen Staatstheaters Wiesbaden
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Thomas de Vries
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Betsy Horne
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Margarete Joswig
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Erik Biegel, Thomas de Vries
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Albert Pesendorfer, Betsy Horne, Young Doo Park
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Gerd Grochowski
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Marta Wryk, Katharina Konradi, Silvia Hauer
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Thomas Blondelle, Ensemble, Jugendchor des Hessischen Staatstheaters Wiesbaden
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Thomas de Vries, Gerd Grochowski
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Thomas Blondelle
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster

Accompanied by a slowly swelling E-flat major chord, a mythical cosmos rises from the depths of the Rhine in the Prelude to “Das Rheingold”, carrying with it the entire world of gods, humans and dwarves. Wagner lays the foundations of deception and violence from the very beginning of his Nibelungen saga: Alberich, an underworld dweller, robs the Rhine maidens of their gold and forges it into a ring around which an ominous and epic power struggle is set to unravel. He curses the ring to henceforth only bring potential world domination to those willing to renounce love at the price of possessing its power.

In 1896, George Bernard Shaw shrewdly referred to the cycle as a “present-day drama”, one which may as well have been written under the influence of imperial power struggles and industrial advancement after the second half of the 19th century. To date, the political and socio-critical content of the work has not lost its relevance. The triumphant rising of the gods, culminating in the construction of Valhalla, only forebodes their very demise. “The injustices which they pursue cling to them instead”, Wagner wrote in his prose draft to the drama.

Ring Cycles

The Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden presents three Ring cycles during the 2023/24 season: the first cycle takes place from the end of January, while the second is scheduled for Easter. The final cycle will take place during the 2024 International May Festival.

Cast

Conductor Michael Güttler
Director Uwe Eric Laufenberg
Revival Director Florian Mahlberg
Stage Designer Gisbert Jäkel
Costume Designer Antje Sternberg
Lighting Designer Andreas Frank
Video Falko Sternberg
Dramaturgy Katja Leclerc

Dates

Ring CycleGrosses Haus19:30 - 22:00
Sold out / leftover tickets at the box office
International May Festival | Ring CycleGrosses Haus19:30 - 22:00