- Approx. 5 hours 40 minutes with two breaks
- Interesting for people aged 14+
- In German language, with German surtitles, with English surtitles
The end and a new beginning
The Norns announce the imminent end of the reign of the gods: the battle for the ring enters its final round. The death of the hero Siegfried leads Brünnhilde to the decision to end Wotan's system of power forever. The end marks a possible new beginning. The fourth part of ‹Der Ring des Nibelungen› is Richard Wagner's longest work and an unrivalled operatic ritual. Grand monologues and the most impressive orchestral passages of the entire cycle are combined in this finale.
With the kind support of IG Ring
Digital book table
Together with the dramaturgy department, the Basel Kulturhaus Bider & Tanner has been curating the book table for our plays for many years. Now this selection of books, CDs, DVDs, catalogues and sheet music is available at any time in the online shop. It's worth browsing regularly.
Mediathek
The Rhinemaidens (Harpa Ósk Björnsdóttir, Valentina Stadler, Sophie Kidwell) are full of ideal-typical splendor, the Norns are a force to be reckoned with, especially Jasmin Etezadzadeh. Rolf Romei, whose voice is certainly fully utilized, retains the aura of a youthful child's head in his Siegfried right to the end, Günter Papendell sings Gunther as a pithy wimp, Patrick Zielke is a comprehensively powerful Hagen.
[...] Jonathan Nott makes Wagner's music flow.
The demands on the orchestra at the Basel practice facility are immense. It sits underground, in Nibelheim, so to speak. The space is narrow and the opera is long. [...] The sound is balanced, instrumental groups and solo passages can be heard with astonishing clarity.
Like the composer, who initially wrote the libretto for ‹Götterdämmerung› under the name «Siegfried's Death», the director thinks of the «Ring» from the end.Brünnhilde's intended emancipation from her patriarchal father Wotan makes her the central figure in the production concept (co-director: Caterina Cianfarini).
The surprise of the evening is [...] Patrick Zielke as Hagen, who delivers this dark, evil and vocally attractive role with a full, warm bass.
The claim of a Ring from the perspective of Brünnhilde looking back is fulfilled in Basel.
Anyone who suspected that Benedikt von Peter was always more interested in the psychological character study than in the music will find this confirmed in the «Ring».
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