Orchestra Of Opera North

Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold - opera in 4 scenes.

There will be no interval in this performance which will end at approx. 9.40pm

‘One of the most enthralling Wagner performances of recent years’ (The Guardian) comes to Royal Festival Hall.

Performed in four scenes without a break, it follows a cursed magic ring that gives its bearer the power to rule the world... but only if they first renounce love. We meet Wotan, ruler of the gods, and his wife Fricka; Alberich, the evil dwarf who wants the ring at all costs, the forceful giants who capture Wotan’s sister-in-law and a magic helmet that makes the wearer change size and shape.

Wagner throws us straight into the action at the beginning with a dramatic Prelude that conjures up the speed and movement of the water as it sweeps down the great river Rhine in Germany.

An epic story that unfolds to music of unrivalled vividness that went on to influence composers as diverse as Sibelius, Debussy and more recently John Williams, author of scores for Star Wars, Jaws and Schindler’s List.

(Performed in German with English subtitles)