Der Ring Des Nibelungen
Operas submitted here by:Brunnhilde
Der Ring Des Nibelungen (English: The Ring of the Nibelung), also known as the Ring Cycle or The Ring, is a series of four operas (including Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung; the English translations are The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, and Twilight of the Gods, respectively) by Wilhelm Richard Wagner. Some of the various tunes and themes in these operas are actually quite well-known (e.g. Ride of the Valkyries, the "all opera singers wear winged helmets" myth, etc.), and the operas themselves (especially the second one in the series, Die Walküre, are some of the most famous operas ever created (though Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is more popular). Based on Norse and Germanic mythology and even some of Wagner's own ideas, they tell the epic tale of a magic ring that was forged by the greedy Nibelung (dwarf-like Norse creature) Alberich that can be used to rule the world, and how the gods and demigods attempt to return the golden ring to its rightful owners-the Rhinemaidens (mermaid-like creatures that dwell in the river Rhine).
Fun fact: I (Brunnhilde) was named after the main heroine of the cycle!
The Characters
| Name | Role | Voice Type |
| Wotan | King of the Gods, god of light and air, has only one eye, also known as Odin | Bass-baritone |
| Brünnhilde | Valkyrie, Wotan's favorite daughter, also known as Brynhildr | Soprano |
| Siegfried | Walsung, son of Siegmund and Sieglinde, also known as Sigurd | Tenor |
| Alberich | Nibelung, one who stole the Rhinegold, forger of the ring | Bass-baritone |
| Mime | Nibelung, brother of Alberich, one who raised Siegfried | Tenor |
| Fricka | Wife of Wotan, goddess of marriage, also known as Frigg | Mezzo-soprano |
| Erda | Goddess of fate, wisdom, and the Earth, mother of Brünnhilde and the Norns, also known as Uror | Contralto |
| Loge | Demigod of fire, tamed by Wotan, also known as Loki | Tenor |
| Siegmund | Walsung, twin brother and husband of Sieglinde, also known as Sigmund | Tenor |
| Sieglinde | Walsung, twin sister and wife of Siegmund, also known as Signy | Soprano |
| Fafner | Formerly a giant (he becomes a dragon later), brother of Fasolt, also known as Fafnir | Bass |
| Fasolt | Giant, brother of Fafner, also known as Regin | High bass |
| Woglinde | Rhinemaiden, sister of Wellgunde and Flosshilde | Soprano |
| Wellgunde | Rhinemaiden, sister of Woglinde and Flosshilde | Soprano |
| Flosshilde | Rhinemaiden, sister of Woglinde and Wellgunde | Mezzo-soprano |
| Hunding | Neiding, former husband of Sieglinde, chief of the Neidings, Siegmind's enemy | Bass |
| Hagen | Gibichung, son of Alberich, half-brother of Gunther and Gertrune, chief minister of the Gibichungs | Bass |
| Donner | God of thunder, brother of Fricka, also known as Thor | Baritone |
| Freia | Goddess of love, beauty, and youth, Fricka's sister, also known as Freyja | Soprano |
| Froh | God of happiness and spring, Fricka's brother, also known as Freyr | Tenor |
| Gunther | King of the Gibichungs, Hagen's half-brother, Gertrune's brother | Baritone |
| Gertrune | Gibichung, sister of Gunther, also known as Gertrude or Gudrun | Soprano |
| Waltraute | Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan, sister of Brünnhilde | Mezzo-soprano |
| Helmwige | Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan, sister of Brünnhilde | Soprano |
| Grimgerde | Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan, sister of Brünnhilde | Mezzo-soprano |
| Rossweisse | Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan, sister of Brünnhilde | Mezzo-soprano |
| Gerhilde | Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan, sister of Brünnhilde | Soprano |
| Schwertleite | Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan, sister of Brünnhilde | Mezzo-soprano |
| Ortlinde | Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan, sister of Brünnhilde | Soprano |
| Siegrune | Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan, sister of Brünnhilde | Mezzo-soprano |
| The Norns | Erda's daughters, weavers of the rope of Destiny | Soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto |
| The Woodbird | A woodbird who temporarily is Siegfried's guide | Soprano |
| Chorus | Gibichung vassals | Many voice types |
The Plot
Das Rheingold
Note: Das Rheingold, unlike the other three operas, is split up into four scenes (instead of acts) with no breaks in between them.
Overture: It all begins with a single note-a low E flat, to be more specific. Then, gradually, the orchestra begins to come to life, forming a tune that may remind you of flowing water. After a little bit, the overture ends, but it doesn't just stop-the Rhinemaidens begin singing, and Act 1 begins, the music being continuous.
Scene 1: At the bottom of the Rhine, Woglinde, Wellgunde, and Flosshilde are singing and playing. Alberich, seeking a woman to love, creeps into the bottom of the river and courts the Rhinemaidens. The Rhinemaidens, seeing how repulsive Alberich is in appearance, make fun of him by at first pretending to like him and then rejecting him, calling him mean things. A frustrated and angered Alberich attempts to catch one of the Rhinemaidens, but they are too fast and the rocks around him are too slippery to climb on. The Rhinemaidens are laughing at Alberich again when suddenly sunrise comes, and they begin to hail a strange golden glow coming from the highest rock. Curious, Alberich asks them what the glow is, and they explain that it is the magical Rhinegold that their father ordered them to guard, and only someone who renounced love could take the gold and forge it into a ring with the power to rule the world; since Alberich loved the Rhinemaidens, they, of course, were fearless when they told him this. However, Alberich, filled with hate from being mocked by the Rhinemaidens, rejects love and proceeds to steal the gold. The Rhinemaidens try to stop him, but their attempts are in vain.
Scene 2: Wotan is sleeping high in the mountainous Nordic heavens when Fricka wakes him up, telling him that the giants, Fasolt and Fafner, have finished building a castle for them and are coming to take away Freia, who is to be used as payment for constructing the gods' new home. Fricka insists that Wotan does something to stop the giants from getting her sister, but Wotan doesn't seem worried, for he sent Loge into the world to find something else to use as payment. Freia arrives, pursued by the giants, begging Wotan and Fricka for help; the giants too come over and insist that Freia is handed over to them. Donner and Froh rush over and try to defend Freia and use brute force to save her, but Wotan stops them, reminding them that the contracts and treaties he makes with others-including the giants-are carved on his spear and he cannot break them. However, Wotan attempts to buy Loge time by preventing the giants to take Freia just yet. Finally, Loge returns was bad news: No man would ever trade a woman's love for something else. But, Loge adds that Alberich alone swapped love for the Rhinegold and successfully forged a magic ring. After a brief discussion about the gold, everyone finds that they want it, so the giants make a new offer: If they are given the gold, they would give the gods Freia. The giants proceed to drag Freia away as hostage. Only a few seconds pass before the gods start to become weak, for Freia's golden apples had kept them young forever and she alone could grow and tend to them. Wotan, determined to get Freia back, heads down to Earth to find the stolen Rhinegold. As they descend to Alberich's home, Nibelheim, a choir of anvils-the anvils of the Nibelungs, who have been enslaved by Alberich-are heard.
Scene 3: Down in Nibelheim, Alberich is beating his own brother Mime, who he has forced to create a magic helmet out of the Rhinegold-the Tarnhelm, which allows its wearer to turn into anything he/she wants as well as teleport him/her to faraway places. Mime attempts to keep the Tarnhelm for himself but finally gives in, handing the Tarnhelm over to Alberich. Alberich uses the Tarnhelm to turn invisible and laughs as he beats a helpless Mime, who cannot escape because he cannot see Alberich. Alberich warns the rest of the Nibelungs, reminding them of his newfound power and urging them to continue working for him. Shortly after Alberich leaves Mime, Wotan and Loge arrive and hear Mime moaning. Loge, being his friend, asks him what happened, and Mime tells Loge and Wotan how Alberich has enslaved everyone and forced him to create the Tarnhelm. Alberich returns, ordering many Nibelungs to create a huge pile of gold. Once they are done, Alberich dismisses them and turns to Wotan and Loge, boasting about his power and how he will eventually conquer the world. Loge asks Alberich what he would do if a thief tried to steal the ring while he sleeps; in response, Alberich tells him about how the Tarnhelm allows him to turn invisible, shapeshift, and teleport, and Loge, forming a plan on how to trick Alberich, says that he doesn't believe this and tells Alberich to prove it to him. Alberich does so by turning into a dragon and terrifying Loge; surprisingly, Wotan isn't scared at all, and is in fact rather amused. After Alberich turns back into his normal self, Loge pretends to be impressed and asks him if he can use the Tarnhelm to become small so he can hide. Alberich proceeds to turn into a little toad, and the two gods pounce. Alberich is caught, tied up, and dragged up into the mountaintops by Wotan and Loge.
Scene 4: Wotan and Loge, now having Alberich as their prisoner, force him to give them his gold. They untie one of his hands, allowing him to raise the ring and have the enslaved Nibelungs carry the hoard of gold up onto the mountaintop. After this is done, Alberich asks Loge to give him the Tarnhelm back, but Loge refuses, stating that it is part of the gods' loot. Wotan then demands that Alberich gives him the ring; when Alberich refuses, Wotan cuts Alberich's hand with his spear and forces the ring off of his finger. After Wotan puts the ring on his own finger, a spiritually crushed Alberich is freed. Before leaving, Alberich curses the ring, stating that until it is returned to him, whoever doesn't have it will want it, and whoever does have it will live in fear of losing it and is destined to be killed by the ring's next owner. This is the first of many scenes where the Death Curse leitmotif is played.
Wotan and Loge return to the heavens and the gods reunite. Fasolt and Fafner arrive with Freia. Fasolt, not wanting to let go of Freia, insists that the gold that is to be given to them has to be heaped around her in order to hide her. The wall of gold around Freia is constructed; during the process Wotan is forced to give up the Tarnhelm and add it to the heap in order to help cover her. Suddenly, Fasolt notices a crack in the pile of gold and he sees the twinkle of one of Freia's beautiful eyes; he insists that until the eye is hidden he cannot return Freia, and adds that Wotan must hide Freia's eye with the ring. Wotan is determined to keep the ring for himself, but Loge also tries to intervene, reminding everyone that the ring's rightful owners are the Rhinemaidens. The frustrated giants grab Freia and are about to leave for good when Erda rises from the ground, warning Wotan about the doom the ring will bring to the gods if he does not give it up and flee from its deadly curse. Wotan, becoming intimidated, calls the giants back and adds the ring to the pile of gold, filling up the crack. The giants, content, begin to split the gold between them; however, they argue over who gets the ring, and, as the Death Curse leitmotif plays again, Fafner beats Fasolt to death. A horrified Wotan suddenly realizes the power of Alberich's curse. Loge can't help but say that Wotan is lucky, for his own foes are destroying each other. Fafner leaves with the gold.
The time has finally arrived for the gods to enter the castle, which Wotan names Valhalla. To help clear the air around them and make the path to their home clearer, Donner creates a thunderstorm, the music playing just as magnificient as Donner's power itself. Loge, sensing that the end of the gods is near, refuses to enter Valhalla-in fact, he says that he wants to reduce the gods and Valhalla, which they obtained through trickery. The Rhinemaidens are suddenly heard mourning their loss from the Rhine; Wotan gets Loge to urge them to be quiet and instead bask in the glory of Valhalla, but they ignore Loge's orders. As the Rhinemaidens continue to sing about the missing Rhinegold, all of the gods except Loge enter their new home.
Die Walküre
Overture: Unlike Das Rheingold, which starts out quietly and eventually forms a graceful, "watery" tune, Die Walküre starts fast and loud, having a quick tune that will perhaps make you think of racing through the woods during a wild storm-which is, in fact, what Siegmund is doing right now. However, like in Das Rheingold, the overture does not have a break in between it and act 1. The overture ends when Siegmund stumbles into the house of Hunding and collapses, exhausted.
Act 1: Siegmund, having escaped his enemies, is now laying in Hunding's house. Sieglinde finds Siegmund, who weakly demands that she gives him something to drink and that he is running away from his enemies. Sieglinde gives him mead; after drinking, Siegmund warns her that he is full of bad luck and he must leave immediately. Sieglinde stops him, saying that he cannot bring ill luck to a place where ill luck already lives. Hunding soon arrives and gives Siegmund his hospitality. A curious Sieglinde asks Siegmund to tell her about himself and his history. Siegmund tells his tale: His father was named Wolfe, and he once had a mother and a sister-until he and Wolfe came home one day to find their home destroyed, his mother dead, and his sister missing. He wandered with his father, battling enemies, until finally his father went missing too; Siegmund searched and searched for Wolfe, but all he found was an empty wolfskin in the woods. Siegmund wandered again, trying to make friends in villages everywhere; however, he was liked by no one, for what he thought was right everyone thought was wrong, and vice versa. Eventually he stumbled across a wedding, in which the bride was being forced to marry someone she did not love. Siegmund attempted to save her and killed her relatives. Unfortunately, his weapons were soon broken, and the bride died. More people came after him, forcing him to flee to Hunding's house. Siegmund is then asked what his name is, and he says that he is called Wehwalt/Woeful.
Once Siegmund finishes telling his tale, Hunding states that he is one of Siegmund's enemies who was pursuing him through the woods. He allows Siegmund to stay in his home for one night, but in the morning they will have to fight. Hunding orders Sieglinde to make his drink and then heads to his room to get some sleep. Sieglinde secretly drugs his drink so that he will sleep for a long time and gives it to him. After Hunding goes to sleep, Sieglinde returns to Siegmund and tells him her story: After being abducted, she was forced to marry Hunding. During the marriage and the celebrations, a strange, elderly man appeared, the brim of his hat hiding one of his eyes. He looked at Sieglinde with deep sadness before thrusting his sword into a big ash tree that grew in Hunding's house and leaving. Over time, Hunding, his companions, and even the strongest men were unable to pull the sword out of the tree. Sieglinde tells Siegmund how she has always wanted a hero to come, remove the sword, and take her away; Siegmund informs her that he loves her, and she tells him that she loves him too and wonders how she recognizes him. Siegmund calls on his father, whose real name is actually Wälse (note that this is actually one of Wotan's many aliases), and mentions how he was promised that in his time of need he would be provided a weapon that would make him invincible; Siegmund then proceeds to pull the sword out of the tree and names it "Nothung." Sieglinde, remembering the name Wälse and noticing how she and Siegmund are similar, finally remembers who Siegmund is: He is her long lost twin brother. Siegmund asks Sieglinde what her name is and tells her to give him a name; Sieglinde names "Wehwalt" Siegmund and tells him what her own name is. Siegmund claims Sieglinde as sister and wife and runs off into the forest with her.
Act 2: In the mountains that make up the Nordic heavens, Wotan instructs Brünnhilde to aid Siegmund in his upcoming fight with Hunding. Brünnhilde eagerly agrees to do this and runs off. Fricka confronts Wotan, informs him that she heard Hunding's prayers, and insists that he punishes Siegmund and Sieglinde, for their love is sinful. She adds that she knows that Wotan is actually their father. Wotan, who loves the twins, argues with Fricka, saying that he needs a hero that is free of him (in other words, does not believe in the Nordic gods) to help him in his plans; however, he eventually gives in to Fricka. He promises to remove the magic from Nothung and have Siegmund killed. He goes to Brünnhilde and tells her about what happened in the previous opera (Das Rheingold). He explains that shortly after what happened at the very end of Das Rheingold, he went down to Erda and asked her to teach him more about the prophesied destruction of the gods. She gave him much of her wisdom in exchange for having a child with him-and that child was Brünnhilde herself. He reminded Brünnhilde how he trained her and her other Valkyrie sisters to go to battles and collect the souls of the best fallen warriors and bring them to Valhalla to form an army to help fight against Alberich, but, of course, he added that if Alberich ever obtained the ring again that army would fall. Wotan continued, telling Brünnhilde about how Fafner, who still had the ring, had turned into a dragon and was guarding the Nibelung gold deep in the forest, and how he needed a "free" hero to take down Fafner and get the ring, for Wotan himself was unable to do so because he was bound by his own contracts and promises. However, so far Wotan wasn't able to create a free hero-every son or daughter he had ended up being his servant. He had hoped that Siegmund would be the free hero he wanted since he raised Siegmund to despise and thus be free of the gods, but because of what he and Sieglinde have done he will have to die. Once he is done explaining all this, Wotan orders Brünnhilde to go to the Siegmund vs. Hunding battle later and make sure the son he loves so much, Siegmund, dies; when Brünnhilde is reluctant to do this, Wotan becomes angry and bitterly warns her not to ever provoke his anger, or he will unleash his great wrath on her. Wotan departs, leaving Brünnhilde sad and even a little scared.
Meanwhile, Siegmund and Sieglinde have fled Hunding's house and arrive at the mountains. Sieglinde is growing more and more guilty about what she has done, despite the fact that she was extremely unhappy when she was with Hunding. Siegmund states that they must stop and rest, but a scared Sieglinde attempts to keep going. Finally, Sieglinde blacks out, too exhausted to go any further. Siegmund guards Sieglinde, and Brünnhilde arrives. Brünnhilde explains that only warriors who are going to die see her, and thus he will lose the battle against Hunding. She implores him to follow her to Valhalla after the battle, but he refuses after learning that Sieglinde will have to live longer and will not be with him. Siegmund tells Brünnhilde that he cannot die-he has his father's magic sword. However, Brünnhilde replies by saying that the sword's power has been taken away. A frustrated Siegmund draws his sword and says that he will kill Sieglinde and himself and go to Hella (Norse Hell) with her; Brünnhilde intervenes, but at the same time is impressed at how bold and passionate he is. Brünnhilde vows to defend Siegmund, tells him he'll see her on the battlefield, and runs off.
As the morning arrives, Sieglinde wakes up to hear Hunding calling "Wehwalt," warning him that if he doesn't reveal himself Hunding's dogs will find him. Siegmund and Hunding confront each other and do battle; Brünnhilde comes and urges Siegmund on, her divine power allowing him to begin to defeat Hunding. However, without warning, Wotan appears and uses his spear to shatter Nothung, and is forced to watch as Hunding kills a helpless Siegmund with his own spear. As Wotan looks at his son's lifeless body sadly, Brünnhilde recues Sieglinde, pulling her up onto her (Brünnhilde's) horse Grane and riding away with the Walsung. Wotan turns to Hunding and turns him into Fricka's servant by ordering him to go to her and tell her what has happened and then by gesturing with his hand, promptly killing Hunding. Suddenly filled with rage, Wotan remembers how Brünnhilde disobeyed him and sets out to catch and punish his daughter. The music becomes just as full of wrath and anger as Wotan himself.
Act 3: All of the Valkyries except Brünnhilde come together on the top of a mountain that is going to be known as Brünnhilde's Rock soon, each one with a fallen hero who just died in battle on their horses; during this phase, the most famous leitmotif in the cycle, Ride of the Valkyries, plays. They begin to joke around when they finally notice that Brünnhilde is late; soon they spot her riding Grane as fast as she can. Grane soon collapses from exhaustion and Brünnhilde rushes to her sisters with Sieglinde at her side, urging her sisters to help her and telling them what happened. Her sisters, however, refuse to help her, not wanting to defy Wotan. Brünnhilde bravely decides to stay and face Wotan, allowing Sieglinde to flee; Sieglinde, crushed by Siegmund's death, is reluctant to leave and wants to die, but Brünnhilde urges her on by revealing that she is going to give birth to Siegmund's baby, whom she (Brünnhilde) names Siegfried. Sieglinde, now filled with hope, runs away. Brünnhilde's sisters decide to help Brünnhilde, so they conceal her by grouping together and making her stand in the middle of the crowd. Wotan arrives and insists that they give Brünnhilde to him; they begin to cry and plead for her mercy, but Wotan warns them that if they do not do as he says they too will share her fate. Reluctantly the rest of the Valkyries depart, leaving Brünnhilde alone with Wotan. Wotan condemns her for disobeying him and states her punishment: That she is to be made a mortal, put in a magic sleep, and made the wife of any man who finds her and wakes her up. Brünnhilde argues with Wotan, revealing that Wotan's actual will was that Siegmund would live and be the hero who would take the ring away from Fafner, and how she actually attempted to carry out what Wotan wanted, despite what Wotan told her to do after his argument with Fricka. As a last request, Brünnhilde asks Wotan to surround her in a ring of magic fire that only a heroic man who knows no fear (in other words, a man who has never felt fearful) can pass through and claim her as his bride. Wotan's anger ebbs away and instead he becomes extremely sad and loving. He grants Brünnhilde's request and spends a few last moments talking to her, and then finally kisses her eyes, trapping her in a magic sleep, lays her down on the rock, and puts her helmet on her head and her shield and spear next to her. During this phase, beautiful, sweet music plays, and if the story isn't making you cry the music definitely will. However, the music then explodes into a louder, exciting tune-the Magic Fire leitmotif-as Wotan turns and summons Loge. Loge arrives in the form of fire and creates a ring of flame around Brünnhilde's Rock. Wotan says "Whosoever fears the point of my spear shall not pass through the fire." before sadly departing from the mountain, leaving the sleeping Brünnhilde surrounded by the magical flames.
NOTE: I have split this into two frames since if I were to put info about the whole The Ring together, this cell would be too long and the blog website wouldn't submit it. Please scroll down for info about the last two operas and how Wagner composed the Ring Cycle. |
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