Das Rheingold - Bayreuther Festspiele · 1980

Wagner: Das Rheingold

Brian Large · 146 min · Germany

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.

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Production companies

Unitel Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, Bayreuther Festspiele

Cast

• 

  Donald McIntyre

  Wotan

• Martin Egel

  Donner

• 

  Siegfried Jerusalem

  Froh

• 

  Heinz Zednik

  Loge

• 

  Matti Salminen

  Fasolt

• Fritz Hübner

  Fafner

• 

  Hermann Becht

  Alberich

• Helmut Pampuch

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