Grange Park Opera

Four performances are played straight through as Wagner intended. Dining will take place at the end of the opera, around 8pm.

On Sun 5 July, there will be a long interval after Scene 2, the descent to Nibelheim.
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The Gold is stolen and the trouble begins

Das Rheingold is the first part of Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle, to be spread across four years. Our thrilling new production from Charles Edwards comes exactly 150 years after the first Bayreuth performance.

We meet many of the Ring’s main characters: Wotan, ruler of the Gods, and his wife Fricka; the slippery Loge, god of Fire; two lumbering giants, Fasolt and Fafner; and the three Rhinemaidens, playing in the river with the golden ring that will cause a whole world of trouble when the cunning dwarf Alberich steals it.

With a cast of outstanding British singers, Das Rheingold marks an important landmark in Grange Park Opera’s evolution.

The acoustic and intimacy of our five-storey opera house have been deemed exceptional for Wagner’s sound world, and emboldened by the success of Tristan, Die Walküre and Flying Dutchman, we have decided the time is ripe.

Be warned: Wagnerians are insatiable and tickets will go fast!

Running time: 2.5 hours.

Synopsis

Prelude

Scene 1: The bottom of the Rhine

Three Rhinemaidens guard the magical Rhine gold, which can be forged into a ring that grants limitless power – but only to someone who renounces love. The sly dwarf Alberich woos them but they reject him.

Humiliated, Alberich curses love, steals the gold, and sets out to dominate the world.

Orchestra interlude

Scene 2: The fortress at Valhalla

Wotan, king of the gods, has just had his fortress built by giants Fasolt and Fafner. But how to pay the builders? Wotan’s wife, Fricka, reminds her husband that he has promised Fricka’s sister Freia (goddess of youth and beauty) as payment.

Wotan enlists the help of Loge, the mercurial god of fire, and his fellow gods. Loge is not encouraging: nothing is more valuable to men than love, so there is apparently no possible alternative payment besides Freia.

Loge was able to find only one instance where someone willingly gave up love for something else: Alberich the Nibelung has renounced love, stolen the Rhine gold, and made a magic ring out of it.

The giants agree to accept the gold instead of Freia. However, they take her hostage.

Freia’s golden apples had kept the gods eternally young. In her absence they begin to age and weaken.

Wotan resolves to travel to Alberich’s subterranean kingdom to obtain the Ring.

Orchestra interlude: descent into Nibelheim

Scene 3: Nibelheim, underground

The Nibelung are Alberich’s slaves. His brother Mime, a skillful blacksmith, has made a magic helmet, the Tarnhelm, which makes the wearer invisible.

Alberich is showing off his magic powers when Wotan and Loge seize him, tie his hands, and drag him up to the surface.

Orchestra interlude: ascent from Nibelheim

Scene 4: Valhalla

Wotan and Loge are negotiating with Alberich for the gold. Wotan tears the Ring from Alberich’s hand and puts it on his own finger.

Alberich lays a curse on the Ring until it returns to him:

Everyone will want to possess it

Those who OWN it will be plagued with sorrow and live in poverty

Those who WEAR it will die

Those you DON’T OWN it will be consumed with envy.

Fasolt and Fafner arrive to claim their gold and insist that both the gold and the Ring is theirs.

The quarrels are interrupted by the earth goddess Erda. Warning Wotan of the Ring’s dark fate, he relents.

Fafner kills Fasolt over the treasure, and becomes the next to take on the ill-fated Ring.

The gods march across a rainbow bridge to Valhalla.

Far below, the Rhinemaidens mourn the loss of their gold and condemn the gods as false and cowardly.

Cast & Creatives

WOTAN, ruler of the gods ∙ JAMES RUTHERFORD – sponsored by Peter & Manina Dicks
FRICKA, his wife ∙ CHRISTINE RICE
FREIA, her sister ∙ RACHEL NICHOLLS
DONNER, her brother ∙ THOMAS ISHERWOOD
FROH, her brother ∙ JAMES SCHOUTEN
ALBERICH, lord of the Nibelungs  ∙ DAVID STOUT
MIME, his brother ∙ ADRIAN THOMPSON
FASOLT, giant, in love with Freia  ∙ MATTHEW ROSE
FAFNER, his brother ∙ DAVID SHIPLEY
LOGE, demi-god of fire ∙ MARK LE BROCQ
ERDA, Earth goddess ∙ SARA FULGONI
WOGLINDE, a Rhinemaiden ∙ AILISH TYNAN
WELLGUNDE, a Rhinemaiden ∙ OLIVIA ROSE TRINGHAM
FLOSSHILDE, a Rhinemaiden ∙ CHARLOTTE BATEMAN

CONDUCTOR ∙ HARRY SEVER
DIRECTOR & SET DESIGN ∙ CHARLIE EDWARDS
COSTUME DESIGNER ∙ GABRIELLE DALTON
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR ∙ LYNNE HOCKNEY
LIGHTING DESIGNER ∙ TIM MITCHELL
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ∙ GREG ELDRIDGE
VIDEO DESIGNER ∙ DAN LIGHT

      Orchestra of English National Opera