Opera

"Das Rheingold" at Monaco Opera

Wagner's Opera will be performed from 19 to 24 November 2013 to mark Monegasque National Day

In the vast history of western culture, nothing compares to Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle!  Unjustly, the first part of this epic story, Das Rheingold, does not enjoy the same status in the repertoire as the other three days of The Ring.  Might this have been the fault of the composer, who by calling it the prologue, risked giving the impression that the best was yet to come?

"Das Rheingold" was composed last, and is the most accomplished example of the composer's efforts to sustain a drama where the singers and the orchestra are also protagonists in the drama.  The rest of the Ring Cycle appears to follow on naturally.  Das Rheingold is the source of the cycle, and a masterpiece in its own right.

The prelude, which is unique in the history of music, is a description in sound of the creation of life, from a simple note held by the double basses to the fortissimo announcing the entry of the Rhinemaidens.  Not content to write innovative, demanding music for his performers, Wagner also confronted the director with a series of technical challenges that seemed totally unfeasible in the 19^th century.

This saga tells the story of the struggle to possess gold, but equally, the fight for power.