Operas by Richard Wagner
Die Hochzeit (1832) Die Feen (1833) Das Liebesverbot (1836) Rienzi (1840) Der fliegende Holländer (1843) Tannhäuser (1845) Lohengrin (1848) Tristan und Isolde (1859) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1867) Der Ring des Nibelungen: Das Rheingold (1869) Der Ring des Nibelungen: Die Walkure (1870) Der Ring des Nibelungen: Siegfried (1871) Der Ring des Nibelungen: Götterdämmerung (1874) Parsifal (1882)
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For the famous train, see Rheingold Express. Die Hochzeit (The Wedding is an unfinished Opera by Richard Wagner which predates all his completed works in the genre Die Feen ( The Fairies) is an Opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. Das Liebesverbot ( The Ban on Love) is an early Opera in two acts by Richard Wagner, with the Libretto written by the composer after Shakespeare's Rienzi der Letzte der Tribunen (WWV 49 ( Rienzi the Last of the Tribunes) is an early Opera by Richard Wagner in five acts with the Libretto Der fliegende Holländer ( The Flying Dutchman) is an Opera, with Music and Libretto by Richard Wagner. Tannhäuser (full title Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg / Tannhäuser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg) is an Opera Lohengrin is a romantic Opera (or music drama in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner. Tristan und Isolde ( Tristan and Isolde, or Tristan and Isolda) is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) is an Opera in three acts written and composed by Richard Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Die Walküre ( The Valkyrie) is the second of the four Operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Siegfried is the third of the four Operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) by Richard Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer ("Twilight of the Gods" – see Notes) is the last of the four Operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung Parsifal is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner. The legendary Rheingold-Express (Rhine Gold was a famous train riding between Hoek van Holland near Rotterdam and Basel, Switzerland a distance For the beer, see Rheingold Beer. Rheingold Beer founded in 1883 is a New York Beer that held 35 percent of the state's beer market from 1950 to 1960 For the Grave Digger album, see Rheingold. Rheingold is a concept album by German band Grave Digger, based on Richard Wagner 's The Ring of the Nibelung. For the research institute, see Rheingold institute. The Rheingold institute for qualitative market and media research was founded in 1987 in Cologne Germany, by Stephan Gruenewald and Jens Loenneker

Das Rheingold ("The Rhine Gold") is the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer It received its premiere at the National Theatre in Munich on 22 September 1869, with August Kindermann in the role of Wotan, Heinrich Vogl as Loge, and Wilhelm Fischer as Alberich. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Wilhelm "Willi" Fischer (born August 26, 1972 Frankfurt am Main) boxer, Germany at the 1992 Summer Olympics Alberich was a legendary sorcerer who originated in the mythology or epic sagas of the Frankish Merovingian Dynasty of the 5th to 8th century AD and whose

Composition

Main article: Der Ring des Nibelungen: Composition of the text

Main article: Der Ring des Nibelungen: Composition of the music

Roles

Synopsis

Scene 1

Das Rheingold begins with a 136-bar unmodulating prelude based on the chord of E flat major that is meant to represent the eternal unchanging motions of the River Rhine. The evolution of Richard Wagner’s Operatic tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung was a long and tortuous process and the precise sequence of events which The composition of the Operatic tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung occupied Richard Wagner for more than a quarter of a century WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Hans Richter ( 4 April 1843 in Raab A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass that shares certain qualities with the Baritone Voice type. The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Eugen Gura ( November 8 1842 &ndash August 26, 1906) was a German Operatic Baritone. Franz Nachbaur (1835 &ndash 1902 was a famous German Opera tenor This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Lilli Lehmann ( November 24, 1848 Würzburg - May 17, 1929 Berlin) was a German Operatic In Musical notation, a bar or measure is a segment of time defined as a given number of beats of a given duration A prelude is a short piece of Music, which its form will vary from piece to piece The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge It is considered the best known drone piece in the concert repertory, lasting approximately four minutes ^[1]. In music a drone is a harmonic or monophonic effect or Accompaniment where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout much It was claimed by Wagner in his autobiography Mein Leben ^[2] that the musical idea came to him while he was half asleep in a hotel in La Spezia in Italy, but this has been disputed by Deathridge and others ^[3]. La Spezia ( Spèsa in the local dialect of Ligurian) is a city in the Liguria region of northern Italy, at the head of La Spezia John Deathridge (born in Birmingham, 21 October 1944) is an English musicologist and President of the Royal Musical Association Britain's foremost The music grows in power, and the curtain rises. At the bottom of the River Rhine, the three Rhinemaidens (Woglinde, Wellgunde, and Flosshilde) are playing together near the Rheingold. See also Der Ring des Nibelungen The Rhinemaidens are the three water-nymphs ( Rheintöchter or Rhine daughters) who appear in Richard Wagner See also Der Ring des Nibelungen The Rhinemaidens are the three water-nymphs ( Rheintöchter or Rhine daughters) who appear in Richard Wagner See also Der Ring des Nibelungen The Rhinemaidens are the three water-nymphs ( Rheintöchter or Rhine daughters) who appear in Richard Wagner See also Der Ring des Nibelungen The Rhinemaidens are the three water-nymphs ( Rheintöchter or Rhine daughters) who appear in Richard Wagner Alberich, a Nibelung dwarf, appears from a deep chasm and tries to woo them. Alberich was a legendary sorcerer who originated in the mythology or epic sagas of the Frankish Merovingian Dynasty of the 5th to 8th century AD and whose The German Nibelungen and the corresponding Old Norse form Niflung ( Niflungr) is the name in Germanic and Norse mythology DWARF is a widely used standardized Debugging data format. DWARF was originally designed along with ELF, although it is independent of Object file Struck by Alberich's ugliness, the Rhinemaidens mock his advances and he grows angry. As the sun begins to rise, maidens praise the golden glow atop of a nearby rock, Alberich asks what it is. The Rhinemaidens tell him about the Rhinegold, which their father has ordered them to guard: it can be made into a magic Ring which will let its bearer rule the world, but only by someone who first renounces love. In Norse mythology, Andvarinaut ("Andvari's Gift" is a magical ring capable of producing gold first owned by Andvari. They think they have nothing to fear from the lustful dwarf, but Alberich, embittered by their mockery, curses love, seizes the gold and returns to the depths, as the Rhinemaidens flee in despair.

Scene 2

The giants seize Freia

Wotan, ruler of the Gods, is asleep on a mountaintop with Fricka, his wife. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. Frigg (or Frigga) is a major goddess in Norse paganism, a subset of Germanic paganism. Fricka awakes and sees a magnificent castle behind them. She wakes Wotan and points out that their new home has been completed. The giants Fasolt and Fafner built the castle; in exchange Wotan has offered them Fricka's sister Freia, the goddess of love. In Norse mythology, Fáfnir ( Old Norse and Icelandic) or Frænir was a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya) is a major goddess in Norse Paganism, a subset of Germanic Paganism. Fricka is worried for her sister, but Wotan is confident that they will not have to give Freia away.

Freia enters, terrified, followed by Fasolt and Fafner. Fasolt demands payment for their finished work. He points out that Wotan's rule is sustained by the treaties carved into his spear, including his contract with the giants. Donner (god of thunder) and Froh (god of spring) arrive to defend their sister Freia, but Wotan stops them; he cannot stop the giants by force and renege on their agreement. Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism "Frey" redirects here For other uses of Frey and Freyr, see Frey (disambiguation.

To Wotan's relief, Loge (the fire god) makes his entrance; Wotan has placed his hopes on Loge's cunning to find a way out of the bargain. Loge tells them that Alberich the dwarf has stolen the Rheingold, and made a powerful magic ring out of it. Wotan, Fricka, and the giants all begin to lust after the Ring, and Loge curtly suggests the best method of acquiring it: "Durch Raub!" ("Through theft!"). Fafner demands it as payment in lieu of Freia. The giants depart, taking Freia with them as hostage.

Freia's golden apples had kept the Gods eternally young; with her absence, they begin to age and weaken. The golden apple is an element that appears in some countries' legends or Fairy tales. In order to win Freia back, Wotan is forced to follow Loge down into the earth, in pursuit of the ring.

An orchestral interlude follows that "paints" the descent of Loge and Wotan into Nibelheim. As the orchestra fades, it gives way to a choir of 18 tuned anvils (indicated in the score with specific size, quantity and pitch) beating out the dotted rhythm of the Nibelung theme to give a stark depiction of the toiling of the enslaved dwarves. An anvil is a manufacturing tool made of a hard and massive block of stone or metal used as a support for Chiseling and Hammering other objects such as in

Alberich and the subjugated Nibelung dwarfs

Scene 3

In Nibelheim, Alberich has enslaved the rest of the Nibelung dwarves. He has forced his brother Mime, the most skillful smith, to create a magic helmet, the Tarnhelm. Tarnhelm is the name of a magic Helmet in Richard Wagner 's Der Ring des Nibelungen. Alberich demonstrates the Tarnhelm's power by making himself invisible, the better to torment his subjects.

Wotan and Loge arrive and happen upon Mime, who tells them about Alberich's forging of the ring and the misery of the Nibelung under his rule. Alberich returns, driving his slaves to pile up a huge mound of gold. When they have finished, he dismisses them and turns his attention to the two visitors. He boasts to them about his plans to rule the world. Loge tricks him into demonstrating the magic of the Tarnhelm by having him transform into a snake (or dragon - the German word Wurm can mean both). Loge points out that it might be better to transform into a small creature in order to escape danger more easily, so Alberich turns into a toad. While he is a toad, the two gods quickly seize him and bring him up to the surface.

Scene 4

On the mountaintop, Wotan and Loge force Alberich to exchange his wealth for his freedom. They untie his right hand, and he uses the ring to summon his Nibelung slaves, who bring the hoard of gold. After the gold has been delivered, he asks for the return of the Tarnhelm, but Loge says that it is part of his ransom. Finally, Wotan asks him to surrender the ring. Alberich refuses, but Wotan seizes it from his finger and puts it on his own. Alberich is crushed by his loss, and before he leaves he lays a curse on the ring: until it returns to him, whoever does not possess it will desire it, and whoever possesses it will receive unhappiness and death.

Fricka, Donner, and Froh arrive and are greeted by Wotan and Loge, who show them the gold that will ransom Freia. Fasolt and Fafner return, carrying Freia. Reluctant to release Freia, Fasolt insists that there must be enough gold to hide her from view. They pile up the gold, and Wotan is forced to relinquish the Tarnhelm to help cover Freia completely. However, Fasolt spots a final crack in the gold, and demands that Wotan also yield the ring. Loge reminds all present that the ring is rightly property of the Rhinemaidens. Wotan refuses to relinquish it, to Loge's displeasure, and the giants prepare to abduct Freia.

Suddenly, Erda the earth goddess, a primeval goddess in many ways superior to Wotan, appears out of the ground. In Norse mythology, Jörð ( Old Norse "earth" jɔrð Jarð jɑrð in Old East Norse --> sometimes Anglicized as Jord She warns Wotan of impending doom and urges him to avoid the cursed ring. Troubled, Wotan surrenders the ring and sets Freia free. The giants start dividing the treasure, but they argue over the ring. Fafner clubs Fasolt to death and leaves with all the loot. Wotan, horrified, realizes that Alberich's curse has terrible power.

At last, the gods prepare to enter their new home. Donner summons a thunderstorm to clear the air. After the storm has ended, Froh creates a rainbow bridge that stretches to the gate of the castle. Wotan leads them across the bridge to the castle, which he names Valhalla. See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Valhalla (from Old Norse Valhöll "hall of the slain" is a majestic enormous Fricka asks him about the name, and he replies that its meaning will be revealed if all goes well.

Loge, who knows that the end of the gods is coming, does not follow the others into Valhalla; he admits he is tempted to destroy them and what they have deceitfully acquired. Far below, the Rhinemaidens mourn the loss of their gold. The curtain falls.

Noted Excerpts

• Prelude
• Rhinemaidens' Song
• Loge's Narration
• Descent and Ascent from Nibelheim
• Alberich's Curse
• Erda's Warning
• Donner's Song (Heda! Heda hedo!)
• Rainbow Bridge Music
• Entry of the Gods into Valhalla

Resources

• All artwork by Arthur Rackham, 1910. Arthur Rackham ( 19 September 1867 &ndash 6 September 1939) was a prolific English book illustrator

External links

• Richard Wagner - Das Rheingold. A gallery of historic postcards with motifs from Richard Wagner's operas.
• Vocal score of Das Rheingold
• Complete libretto of the opera, in German
• Complete libretto of The Ring Cycle in English and German

See also

• Der Ring des Nibelungen

• Der Ring des Nibelungen: Composition of the text

• Der Ring des Nibelungen: Composition of the music

• Grave Digger (German heavy metal band who, in 2003, released the album Rheingold, a concept album based on Wagner's work. Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer The evolution of Richard Wagner’s Operatic tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung was a long and tortuous process and the precise sequence of events which The composition of the Operatic tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung occupied Richard Wagner for more than a quarter of a century )

Source notes