Between 2018 and 2021, Wagner's iconic Nibelungens Ring was staged in its entirety for the first time ever in Gothenburg. The Ring Cycle, as the four-part epic is sometimes called, is the Mount Everest of the opera world, a mammoth project. The Göteborg Opera staged one opera a year with the finale in 2021, and each part was recorded to be shown as a film.
The story of the Ring
The plot of Der Ring des Nibelungen is based on a story from Norse mythology. It starts when Alberich, an evil Nibelung dwarf, gains complete power over the world by plundering the Earth and its precious resources – gold – and renouncing love. Out of the gold he stole from the Rhine, he forges a ring that gives power to rule the world. But the ring is stolen by Wotan, ruler of the gods, and given to the giants as payment for building Valhalla, the gods’ abode. 15 hours later – after unparalleled love, brutal murders, a dragon and a talking woodbird, after a journey from the bed of the river to a mountaintop surrounded by fire – we finally come to the end of the world. What can grow out of the ruins?
The four operas are conducted by Evan Rogister, Principal Conductor of Washington National Opera. The director is Stephen Langridge, The Göteborg Opera’s artistic director for Opera/Drama in 2013–2019. He highlights the sustainability aspect of the “Ring’s” plot, choosing to emphasise how violating the laws of nature leads to the world’s destruction.
The films were recorded during the runs of each opera (2018, 2019, 2020).
