Das Rheingold

One of the most monumental works of art in any medium, Richard Wagner’s four-part Der Ring des Nibelungen has enthralled and intimidated opera-going audiences ever since its 1876 premiere. The grand saga of gods, giants, dwarves, men, and their struggle for an all-powerful ring begins as little more than a rumble in the orchestra at the beginning of Das Rheingold, the first installment of the cycle. In this radio broadcast from the 2018–19 season, Philippe Jordan conducts a thrilling performance, which builds both musically and dramatically from the opera’s subdued opening bars to the triumphant finale. The all-star ensemble cast features a number of accomplished Wagnerians: from bass-baritone Greer Grimsley and mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as the unhappy rulers of the gods, Wotan and Fricka, to baritone Tomasz Konieczny as the scheming dwarf Alberich to basses Günther Groissböck and Dmitry Belosselskiy as the giants Fasolt and Fafner. Presented without intermission, the work is a single sweeping story that sets up the many complex issues to come in the next three operas of Wagner’s Ring cycle.