With a total running time of around 16 hours, Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung is one of the most monumental epics that the opera stage has ever seen. Is it therefore even possible to tell this gigantic stage festival in a single evening? Absolutely! The German humorist Loriot made it possible and masterfully captured the essence of the drama in just a few words: "The perpetrators in the most powerful drama in music history are actually very nice people. Only one shared passion is their undoing: they want to own more than they can afford, more power than they are entitled to. In a blind, loveless pursuit of profit, they destroy themselves and their world. ... Fortunately, such things only happen on the opera stage."

The Ring in One Evening

Opernhaus Dortmund

The naive Siegfried grows up as an orphan with the loveless and greedy blacksmith Mime, with only the remains of a sword left by his unknown father. At some point, his curiosity about his own origins and identity becomes too great, and after fearlessly and naively reforging his father's wonderfully strong sword, he sets off. Mime had convinced him that he must learn to fear in order to survive in the world - preferably from the dragon worm Fafner, who lives in a forest cave on a valuable treasure, including the powerful, eponymous ring. But with his carefree nature, Siegfried masters the episode effortlessly and wins the treasure. What's more: after he accidentally comes across the dragon's blood, he can suddenly understand the language of animals! This is how he comes to a rock surrounded by fire, where he finds a sleeping woman, Brünnhilde, who can only be awakened by the most fearless and free hero. For the first time, Siegfried feels fear – but it quickly turns into love!

Siegfried

After Siegfried and Brünnhilde have happily found each other, the hero sets out on "new deeds". Brünnhilde, who remains behind, receives the Ring of the Nibelung as a token of love from her lover. But Hagen, a descendant of the Gibichung family, also wants to get his hands on the cursed ring that his father Alberich once forged. Siegfried's naivety plays into his hands: he cunningly gives Siegfried a potion that makes him forget everything, causing him to lose all his memories of Brünnhilde. In this state, he cruelly abuses his former wife, who then seeks revenge. Hagen is prepared to murder Siegfried in order to finally get his hands on the ring...

Daniel Frank

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 29 - Feb 19, 2025

The Ring in One Evening · Theater Dortmund

Apr 6 - May 31, 2025

Siegfried · Theater Dortmund

May 18 - Jun 8, 2025

Götterdämmerung · Theater Dortmund

Future and recently performed repertoire

Siegfried in Götterdämmerung by Wagner

Theater Dortmund

Siegfried in Siegfried by Wagner

Theater Dortmund

About

Daniel Frank hasn't added a bio