Richard Wagner. The Ring of the Nibelung. Day Three. The Twilight of the Gods
"The Ring of the Nibelung" is a cycle of four epic operas by Richard Wagner: "Das Rheingold", "Valkyrie", "Siegfried", "Götterdämmerung". The total performance time of all four operas is more than 15 hours. The creation of the tetralogy took the composer almost a quarter of a century. Wagner's concept is based on the motifs of folk legends, sagas, literary monuments of the Middle Ages, the great German epic poem of the 13th century "The Song of the Nibelungs", Scandinavian songs "Edda", etc. The librettos of the parts of the tetralogy, written by the composer, were created in reverse order - from the last opera to the first. In the original concept, Siegfried reigned supreme, young, bright and pure. He was supposed, according to the composer, "to teach humanity the knowledge of injustice, its eradication and the construction of a just world in place of the world of evil." However, later the tragic image of the king of the gods Wotan acquired great significance, as did Siegfried, who submitted to fate. The root cause of evil is the curse of gold, which leads to crimes, murders and ultimately to the destruction of the world. The power of gold is stronger than people and gods.
All four operas were first performed in August 1876 in Bayreuth.
"Götterdämmerung" is the third day and the fourth, final part of the tetralogy "The Ring of the Nibelung", an opera in three acts.
Night, the glow of a fire. The Norns spin the thread of fate. They know that Valhalla will burn in a huge fire. Dawn breaks. Brunhilda and Siegfried emerge from the grotto. The hero prepares for new exploits. He gives Brunhilda the ring of the Nibelung and says goodbye to her.
The Gibichung castle near the Rhine. Gunther and his sister Gutrune talk with their half-brother Hagen, the son of the dwarf Alberich, who aroused in him a thirst for the treasures of the Rhine. Hagen inspires Gunther with a passion for Brunhilde, keeping silent about the fact that Wotan's daughter has become Siegfried's wife, and explains that only Siegfried can pass through the flames that protect the Valkyrie. The hero comes to the castle, where he drinks a magic potion prepared by Hagen and falls into oblivion. Siegfried forgets the past, he is overcome by a passion for Gutrune. He asks Gunther for her hand and receives the answer that first he must help him take possession of Brunhilde. Siegfried and Gunther seal their pact with blood. Brunhilde's sister Waltraute comes to her, begging her to give the ring to the Rhine daughters in order to prevent the death of the gods. Brunhilde refuses: she will never part with the pledge of Siegfried's love. Clouds gather. Siegfried's horn is heard. He passes through the flames in the guise of Gunther (thanks to the magic helmet). Brunhilde, rushing to meet him, retreats in horror. After a short struggle, Siegfried takes the ring from her and carries it away with him. The riverbank near Gunther's castle, night. The dwarf Alberich inspires the sleeping Hagen that he must take possession of the ring by deception. Siegfried appears, proud of what he has accomplished, and a little later - Brunhilde and Gunther. Hagen blows his horn, calling the people. A feast is being prepared. Gunther announces two weddings - his own (he will marry Brunhilde), and Siegfried and Gutrune. Everyone notices Brunhilde's depressed state. She accuses Siegfried of breaking his oath, but the hero, having forgotten everything, is indifferent to her reproaches. Hagen encourages Brunhilda to take revenge, and she reveals Siegfried's vulnerable spot to him - his back.
Near the river, Siegfried meets the Rhine daughters. They ask the hero to return the ring to them; when he refuses, they predict his death. Gunther and Hagen return from hunting, and the latter offers Siegfried a drink that restores his memory. The hero remembers his life, his love for Brunhilda. When he turns his back to Hagen, the latter pierces him with a spear. Siegfried's last words are addressed to his beloved.
Night falls. The body of the deceased is carried in a solemn procession to the castle. Hagen and Gunther argue over the ring. Hagen mortally wounds Gunther, but when he tries to remove the ring from Siegfried's finger, the dead man's hand rises menacingly, and Hagen retreats in horror. Brunhilda, tormented by remorse, takes the ring from Siegfried's hand to return it to the Rhinemaidens. Then, jumping on her horse, she throws herself into the fire on which Siegfried's body is being burned, blaming Wotan for his death. The fire flares up, engulfing the castle. Hagen perishes in the waves of the overflowing Rhine. The fire reaches the heavens, Valhalla is ablaze, the gods perish in the flames. Evil is atoned for. The Rhine returns to its banks. In its calm waves, mermaids frolic, playing with the ring. PERFORMERS:
Erda's Daughters:
First Norna - Janet Collins
Second Norna - Lani Paulson
Third Norna - Sue Patchell
Siegfried - Albert Bonnema
Brünnhilde - Luana DeVol
Gibihungi:
Gunter - Hernan Iturralde
Gutruna - Eva-Maria Westbrook
Hagen - Roland Bracht
Waltrauta - Tichina Vaughan
Alberich - Franz-Josef Kapellmann
State Orchestra Stuttgart
Conductor - Lothar Zagrosek
State Opera Stuttgart, Stuttgart, 2003