Media Contact:
Curtis Brothers, Outreach Director
phone:
(919) 556-5178
fax:
(919) 556-9273
e-mail:
curtis@theclassicalstation.org

Journey of the Rheingold — Week 3!

The WCPE OPERA HOUSE with Bob Galbraith

11/6 - Week 1: Das Rheingold

11/13 - Week 2: Die Walküre

11/20 - Week 3: Siegfried

11/27 - Week 4: Die Götterdämerung

The Metropolitan Opera on WCPE (2009)

4/27 - Das Rheingold

5/13 - Die Walküre

5/20 - Siegfried

5/27 - Die Götterdämerung

Although created by an unquestionably flawed human being, Wagner's Ring of the Nibelungen is considered by many opera-buffs and musicologists alike to be the operatic masterpiece of all time. Some 32 years in the making (counting Wagner's first encounter with the Nibelungen myths), it is built on leitmotifs (short musical phrases) identifying characters, places, items, events and emotions artfully woven together in a mythological tale involving pride, greed, love, loyalty, betrayal, heroism and adventure of mammoth proportions.

In roughly 16 hours (more or less, depending on who is conducting) we are taken on a fantastic journey involving gods, mortals, dwarfs, giants, dragons and all that jazz. (The following brief summary is written with appreciation and affection for Anna Russell.)

Das Reingold: In this opera, which Wagner called an "introduction", the Rhinegold is stolen from the Rhine Maidens by the conniving dwarf Alberich. It is next blatantly stolen by Wotan the head god after which Alberich puts a curse on the gold. Wotan uses it to pay the giants Fafner and Fasold for building the castle of the gods, Valhalla. Fafner kills his brother Fasold so that he may have all the gold for himself. Obviously the curse is working! The gods enter Valhalla…

Die Walkure: In the meantime Wotan's son (by a mortal woman) Siegmund stumbles into the hut of Hunding and Sieglinda. He falls in love with Sieglinda (his twin sister, no less!) and she bears a son - Siegfried. After a long argument between Wotan and his wife, Fricka (Act II), we meet Brünnhilde, one of the nine Valkyries who are daughters of Wotan and Erda the earth goddess. (They are warrior women who carry out Wotan's bidding!) At the end of this opera Wotan, after singing the most loving and tender farewell, puts Brünnhilde to sleep on a rock surrounded by fire for "time out" because she disobeyed him.

Siegfried: Siegfried is raised in the woods by Mime who is conniving all along to trick Siegfried into getting the gold back after which he plans to kill him. Siegfried reforges his father's sword and kills Mime. He then finds the dragon in the forest. (The dragon is actually the giant Fafner transformed by the curse of the gold.) Siegfried kills the dragon and grabs the gold. When he touches his finger to his mouth there is a drop of dragon blood on it and suddenly he can understand the songs of the birds. One tells him to go to the rock where Brünnhilde is surrounded by fire and wake her. So that's what he does. When he take her shield off her body he discovers there are differences between boys and girls (he was raised isolated in the forest, remember). An ecstatic love duet ensues and apparently the curse on the Rhinegold has lost its power. But wait!

Die Götterdämerung (The Twilight of the Gods): Siegfried and Brünnhilde are enjoying marital bliss, but Siegfried take off on a journey up the Rhine to Gunther's estate where he is given a potion by Gutrune that makes him fall in love and agree to marry her. Brünnhilde shows up and is a bit miffed. The men go hunting and Hagen kills Siegfried (ah, that awful curse has struck again.) When Siegfried's body is brought back to Gunther's estate, Brünnhilde claims the ring is rightfully hers. She takes the ring, mounts her stead, Grane, rides into Siegfried's funeral pyre which flares up and destroys Valhalla. The golden ring is returned to the Rhine Maidens who are just delighted. The whole thing ends with a glorious statement of the love leitmotif.

WCPE's Business Manager Dave Sackett has a special comment to add!

I remember watching this on TV on PBS years ago. I was somewhat familiar with the music. But, I didn't know much about the story or the characters or The Ring's place in the world of Opera. It didn't take long for me to realize that the music, as beautiful and moving as it was, was only part of the presentation. I read the subtitles and watched the action on the stage and knew I was hooked! The story and all the plot lines, the characters, the sets, the costumes, the music. And, The Performers. James Morris, Siegfried Jerusalem, Hildegard Behrens, Christa Ludwig, Jessye Norman, Matti Salminen, led by James Levine. WOW. I've listened to a lot of opera since then, seen many on TV and a few of them performed live. But, The Ring, and this particular performance, is still special to me as it was the one that brought me into the world of Opera in the first place.

About WCPE:

With a 30-year history, WCPE is a non-commercial, 100 percent listener-supported, independent station dedicated to excellence in Great Classical Music, 24 Hours A Day. Community-minded business underwriters and foundations are among the 150,000 listeners in the North Carolina broadcast area. General Manager Deborah S. Proctor’s leadership has enabled the WCPE community to include national and worldwide listeners. Other radio stations and cable television systems can rebroadcast Great Classical Music, 24 Hours A Day. WCPE is one of the first public broadcasters to stream on the Internet. WCPE is heard worldwide on the Internet in multiple formats, including the next generation IPv6. Because WCPE receives no tax-derived support, the station conducts two on-air fundraising campaigns and two major mail-out campaigns per year to raise needed operating funds. Quarter Notes, the WCPE Program Guide, is published four times a year as a means to enhance appreciation and understanding of classical music. It is distributed to station supporters and is also available online at TheClassicalStation.org/guide. For more information, visit TheClassicalStation.Org or call 1-800-556-5178.

Home | Listen | Programs | Privacy Policy | Classical Facts | Arts Calendar | WCPE Membership | People | About Us | Quarter Notes | WCPE News | What You're Saying | Contact Us | Site Map