New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Opernhaus Zürich recently premiered Das Rheingold, the first work of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, as part of the first full production of the Ring
Cycle in Zurich in 20 years. This theatrical feat represents the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and organization in an effort to do this timeless operatic collection justice. Over the next three years, the opera house will be presenting each of the four operas individually, followed by runs of the complete
Cycle for 8 days in spring 2024, as follows:
- Das Rheingold, now performing
- Die Walküre, opening
September 18, 2022
- Siegfried, opening March 5, 2023
- Götterdämmerung, opening November 5, 2023
The history of this classic can be traced back to the city of Zürich, where Wagner spent nine of his most productive years during his exile from Germany. During his prolonged stay, he created a significant portion of Der Ring des Nibelungen, and here the world saw its first glimpses of the cycle. Starting February 16, 1853, he presented all four pieces of work for the first time across four consecutive evenings at the renowned Hotel Baur au Lac. Wagner quickly found success in Zürich, which launched a prolific period of creativity for the composer, including a concert series featuring excerpts of Rienzi, Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, and Lohengrin that laid the foundations for the what the Bayreuth Festival would later become. This makes Opernhaus Zürich uniquely appropriate for presenting an authentic retelling of the works, immersed in the culture where they were conceived. Opernhaus Zürich will be cooperating with Zürich Tourism to allow audience members to relive Wagner's experiences in Zürich with a guided tour of the city featuring his most frequented spots.
Productions of the Ring
Cycle are considered the most formidable undertakings for opera houses worldwide due to the high artistic and logistical demands of Wagner's opus, and Opernhaus Zürich has assembled a talented cast and crew to meet the task. In their first time working together, Gianandrea Noseda and
Andreas Homoki fill the roles of General
Music Director and Stage
Director respectively. Noseda has been General
Music Director of the Opernhaus Zurich since the 2021/22 season. He is also
Music Director of the
National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D. C.) and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Costume design is in the hands of Christian Schmidt, who is renowned for his ability to bring stories to life.
The part of Wotan will be sung by seasoned Wagner performer Tomasz Konieczny, whose career has taken him around the world, including Teatro Real Madrid, the Metropolitan Operan in New York, and the Opera
National de Paris, before bringing him to Opernhaus Zürich. Other notable castings include Camilla Nylund as Brünnhilde and Klaus Florian Vogt as Siegfried, as well as
Christopher Purves and Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke who play the dwarf brothers Alberich and Mime.
Opernhaus Zürich's production is unique in that many characters who appear across multiple titles will be played by the same singers - a rare occurrence for productions of the Ring
Cycle due to the frequency of scheduling conflicts during runs of the collection, which can last many years. Opera
Director Annette
Weber commented that "it's wonderful that it's worked out for us. And that's especially the case when the four pieces are performed as a cycle. It's so much fun to see how the characters develop."
