Opera
Der Ring des Nibelungen

Siegfried

Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883)
Sung in German, with surtitles
Libretto: by the composer
Premiere: 1876 in Bayreuth

Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster
Photo: Karl und Monika Forster

Siegfried, the powerful, free-spirited hero was also a type of secret projection figure for Wagner. Excited by his own creation, he wrote to Ludwig II: “Siegfried is divine. It is my greatest work!” Only Siegfried’s new world order could finally free Wotan from his contractual shackles and power struggles; the fact that Siegfried became a prototype of the “master race” in the 20th century, is a chapter which cannot be separated from the current view of the opera. At the same time, the third instalment of the Ring cycle contains one of the greatest love stories and, perhaps, Siegfried’s hardest test – though no contest with the “easy” acquisition of the Rheingold treasure – his encounter with Wotan’s Valkyrie daughter Brünnhilde. Fearlessly passing through the ring of fire in which Wotan has imprisoned his daughter in an eternal, magical sleep, he experiences fear for the first time at the sight of the awakening Brünnhilde. The pair become inflamed with passionate love for one another. To Wagner, the revolution which Siegfried embodied and which finally put an end to the antiquated world order, was both seminal and productive: “Siegfried innocently took on the guilt of the gods. He suffered for their injustices through his stubbornness and independence.”

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 Haus17:00 - 22:10
International May Festival | Ring CycleGrosses Haus16:00 - 21:10