Deutsche Oper Berlin - Das Rheingold

Richard Wagner considered RHEINGOLD a “pre-evening“ to his stage play DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN, a label that certainly deliberately refers to the prologues of the Baroque operas. Because here, as well as there, the gods are in control and create the conditions under which the fates of man will be decided. And just like the ancient deities of Monteverdi, their northern counterparts of Wagner are beings who embody the drives of human existence. All of the feelings, urges and thoughts that determine our own existence also appear in the two and a half hours of RHEINGOLD. Starting with the innocent games played by the Rheinmaidens whom the Nibelung Alberich robs of their gold, to this dwarf's unbridled lust for power and the scornful nihilism of the fire god Loge, to the father of the gods Wotan's attempt to create something that will last with his palace of Valhalla. And not lastly, the gold itself is a mute lead character: an item of gleaming fascination, it is simultaneously a touchstone by which each character is manifest and which divides gods and man alike into good and evil.

With its claim of explaining the world through its sheer expanse across time, DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN is the greatest challenge for any opera director. At the Deutsche Oper Berlin Stefan Herheim is taking on the task of translating the mindset of Wagner's tetralogy into the 21st century. The winner of multiple awards, the Norwegian director is one of the most important directors today: in his work he frequently illustrates the ideological historical connections and effective history of the respective operas. This approach has shaped his celebrated PARSIFAL in Bayreuth, among others, and has predestined him for an interpretation of RING.

duration: 2 hrs 30 mins / No interval

recommended from the age of 16

program

Der Ring des Nibelungen – Das Rheingold
Richard Wagner [1813 – 1883]
Der Vorabend
Ein Bühnenfestspiel für drei Tage und einen Vorabend
Uraufführung am 22. September 1869 in München
Premiere an der Deutschen Oper Berlin am 12. Juni 2021

In deutscher Sprache mit deutschen und englischen Übertiteln

Place

On September 24, 1961 the Opernhaus that had been inaugurated in 1912 and destroyed during the War was reopened as Deutsche Oper Berlin. Ever since it has been Berlin´s largest and Germany´s second largest music theatre, featuring among the most modern institutions in Europe. The straightforward and elegant building that was realized by architect Fritz Bornemann (he also conceived the America Memorial Library and the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, a. o.) seats 1.859 and guarantees a maximum viewing and hearing experience for every visitor.