Organization

Singer

Baritone

Mario Hoff

Wotan

Alexander Günther

Donner

Tenor

Jean-Noël Briend

Froh

Axel Mendrok

Loge

Tomas Möwes

Alberich

Frieder Aurich

Mime

Günter Moderegger

Bass

Renatus Mészár

Fasolt

Hidekazu Tsumaya

Fafner

Mezzo-soprano

Christine Hansmann

Fricka

Soprano

Catherine Foster

Freia

Marietta Zumbült

Contralto

Nadine Weissmann

Erda

Silona Michel

Woglinde

Susann Günther

Wellgunde

Christiane Bassek

Flosshilde

Conductor

Carl St. Clair

Martin Hoff

Stage director

Michael Schulz

Costume designer

Renée Listerdal

Set designer

Dirk Becker

Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar

Das Rheingold -  (The Rhinegold)

Weimar

Germany

Deutsches Nationaltheater

Outside Germany, the name Weimar tends to evoke mixed feelings and pictures of German history of the last hundred years. Within Germany, Weimar means a town in the state of Thuringia arguably saturated with the “Deutsche Kultur” of the “Weimarer Klassik”, the legendary Bauhaus, and finally the life and work of Franz Liszt and his son in law Richard Wagner. In Weimar Richard Wagner began composing the first part of his RING-cycle, “Das Rheingold”. In 2008 the Nationaltheater Weimar started a new production of this unique tetralogy. The conductor is Carl St.Clair, a former student of Leonard Bernstein. With Michael Schulz’ fine and highly intelligent staging this new “Ring” production on DVD and Blu-Ray becomes an outstanding document of contemporary opera theatre.

Staatskapelle Weimar's Das Rhinegold, the first part of Wagner's Ring Cycle, is a theatrical journey that takes us back to our childhood, where fantasy becomes palpable reality. Embedded in this fairytale world, alongside norns, water-sprites, dwarfs, giants and gods, the human family has created a deceptive image for itself. But a terrible truth cannot be avoided: anyone who is forced to renounce love and is cheated of his inalienable human nature will exact a terrible revenge. Das Rheingold introduces the ring. The well-known prelude opens with 136 measures of an E-flat major chord: this prolonged harmony represents the ageless river Rhine, upon whose banks the Rhinemaidens play. Alberich, a Nibelung dwarf, tries vainly to seduce one of the Rhinemaidens. Mockingly, they reveal the secret of the gold they guard: out of it, one can forge a ring powerful enough to rule the world, provided the forger gives up Love forever. Alberich manages to steal the gold and makes the ring, using it to control his fellow dwarfs while he plans his world take-over. In the meantime, Wotan (king of the gods), like many new home owners, has to figure out how to finance the construction of Valhalla (hall of the gods). He has promised his sister-in-law as payment to the construction workers, but his wife Fricka isn't too keen on selling her sister to the giants (led by Fafner). Loge (god of fire) tricks Alberich into turning himself into a toad and brings Alberich back to Wotan, who takes the ring from the dwarf. Bitter at losing his ring, Alberich places a curse on it: lack of the ring will fuel desire for it and possession will only lead to misery. Wotan ends up giving the Ring to Fafner as ransom for Fricka's sister.

The Rhinegold by Wagner, Richard, Alates (2008/2008), Juhatatud Michael Schulz,, Dirigent Carl St. Clair, Martin Hoff, Deutsches Nationaltheater, Weimar, Germany

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