Wagner: Das Rheingold

The story

This is a beautifully conducted and thoughtfully staged performance of the first opera (the prologue) in Wagner's Ring Cycle. As soon as the clouds of mist have dissipated, while the daring, long-held opening chord is still reverberating, the screen clears to show not only the River Rhine and the three maidens (dressed like prostitutes in this production) assigned to guard the gold hidden there. It also shows an enormous dam (not mentioned in Wagner's text). This is the underwater base of a hydroelectric plant, and its presence tells us two things immediately: that this production takes the story out of the vaguely medieval fantasy world in which Wagner had placed it, and that a basic theme of the four-opera cycle would be power. Alberich, the Nibelung, is willing to renounce the love of women, after stealing the gold from the Rhine, to become the ruler of the world. Another basic theme is greed.

In the same saga

Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen 1980

In release order

This film

Wagner: Das Rheingold

1980

Wagner: Die Walküre

1980

Siegfried - Bayreuther Festspiele

1980

Wagner: Götterdämmerung

1980

See all films (5)

Wagner: The Making of The Ring

1983

Cast

D Donald McIntyreWotan M Martin EgelDonner S Siegfried JerusalemFroh H Heinz ZednikLoge M Matti SalminenFasolt F Fritz HübnerFafner H Hermann BechtAlberich H Helmut PampuchMime H Hanna SchwarzFricka C Carmen ReppelFreia O Ortrun WenkelErda N Norma SharpWoglinde

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I Ilse GramatzkiWellgunde M Marga SchimlFlosshilde P Pierre BoulezSelf - Conductor