Der Ring des Nibelungen – Das Rheingold by Wagner, Richard, From (2024/2024), Directed by Stefan Herheim, Conductor Nicholas Carter, Donald Runnicles, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Richard Wagner described DAS RHEINGOLD as the “eve” of his stage festival DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN – a term that is certainly no coincidence reminiscent of the prologues of baroque opera. Because here as well as there the gods have the word and create the basic conditions under which the fates of the people will later be decided. And just like the ancient deities in Monteverdi, their Nordic relatives in Wagner are beings in which the driving forces of human existence are embodied. In the almost two and a half hours of RHEINGOLD, all the feelings, desires and thoughts that also determine our own existence appear. Starting with the innocent playfulness of the Rhinemaidens, whose gold was stolen by the Nibelung Alberich, about the unbridled lust for power of this dwarf and the mocking nihilism of the fire god Loge to the attempt of the father of the gods Wotan to create lasting values ​​with his castle Valhalla. And last but not least, there is the gold itself as the silent protagonist. With its claim to explain the world and its sheer length in time, DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN is the greatest challenge for every opera director. At the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Stefan Herheim set himself the task of translating the ideas of Wagner's tetralogy into the 21st century. Winner of many awards, the Norwegian is one of the most important directors of our time: in his works, he repeatedly makes clear the historical connections and the history of the impact of the respective operas.