Das Rheingold

Fricka and Wotan Das Rheingold is the first of the four operas in the cycle, and was a groundbreaking opera in its day. Das Rheingold was written as an epic poem as much as an opera. Many of the stage directions are quite impossible to reproduce accurately during a live performance -- such as Rhinemaidens singing while swimming underwater, a chorus of tuned anvils, an invisible dwarf attacking his brother with a whip, and rapid scenery changes while the orchestra continues to play. There are no planned breaks in the opera whatsoever, making it a very demanding performance. If you attend a staging of Das Rheingold, it is important to get yourself in the mood for mythology and suspend disbelief. It is not an opera for the cynical or the literal person.

Scene 1

The Rhine River is the setting. Three Rhinemaidens are swimming, singing, and playing near their hoard of gold. The Nibelung, or dwarf, Alberich happens across them and they begin to flirt with him. Once Alberich decides that they are only teasing him he becomes quite angry and starts to swim after them.

When the sun comes out and shines on the gold, the Rhinemaidens ignore the dwarf and start to sing praises to their treasure. Alberich learns from the song that the gold can be forged into a ring which will allow its owner to rule the world. However, the spell can only be unlocked by a person who has sworn off love in all its forms. Alberich curses the Rhinemaidens for their cruel teasing, and decides that he will never get their love so he will have their gold. The orchestra swells and the Rhinemaidens wail as he makes off with his prize.

Scene 2

Meanwhile, high in the mountains the gods are admiring their new fortress home. Wotan, the chief of the gods, had contracted with the giants Fasolt and Fafner to build this new hall. In return, he agreed to give them the goddess of eternal youth, his sister-in-law Freia. However, Wotan had planned that the trickster Loge, god of fire, would be able to find a way to get him out of the bargain.

Wotan's wife, Fricka, and her two brothers are protesting the sale of their sister as the giants appear to collect on the deal. As the gods are getting ready to battle the giants, Loge finally appears and Wotan pretends that he will now turn Freia over to the giants. At first Loge states that there is no flaw with the new fortress and that Freia must be surrendered. As the giants prepare to carry Freia away, Loge tells the story of the stolen Rheingold and how he promised the Rhinemaidens that Wotan would rescue the gold. When the giants hear the part about the ring which can give them absolute power, they decide that it would be a more acceptable fee, but state that they will take Freia with them until the gold is recovered. They promise to return at sundown to collect.

As soon as Freia has left, the gods suddenly begin to age and grow weaker. Wotan and Loge hurry from the mountain fortress in search of the Rheingold that will secure Freia's return. They avoid the Rhine so that the Rhinemaidens will not learn of their quest, taking the longer passages through the cleft of the mountains.

Scene 3

Alberich has returned to his home in Nibelheim and successfully forged the Ring of the Nibelung. Its magic has given him command of all the dwarfs, and he is forcing them to create a treasure trove for him. Mime, Alberich's brother, has been forced to make the Tarnhelm, which will allow its wearer to change shapes or become invisible. Mime had hoped to use the Tarnhelm to escape, but the spell did not work and Alberich puts on the helm, becomes invisible, and beats his brother with a whip. He then threatens the rest of the dwarfs if they don't continue to slave away at the forges.

Wotan and Loge reach Nibelheim and hear Mime groaning. As they are speaking to him, Alberich takes off the Tarnhelm and begins to boast of his powers and the ring that he made. Wotan wants to put him in his place, but Loge has a better plan. He convinces Alberich that the ring is not safe, and will surely be stolen if the dwarf should go to sleep. The Nibelung continues to boast and tells the gods that the powers of the Tarnhelm will prevent this. Alberich assumes the shape of a fierce dragon, but Loge wonders if a tiny creature might be able to hide more effectively. When the Nibelung transforms himself into a toad, Wotan steps on him and binds him up. The gods drag the Nibelung back up the mountain.

Scene 4

Wotan demands the entire treasure of the Nibelungen as ransom for Alberich, and the dwarf grudgingly agrees, thinking that he can always use the power of the ring to create a new hoard. He asks that his hand be unbound so that he may use the ring to summon the dwarfs to bring the treasure. Once this is done, Wotan tears the ring off of Alberich's finger. Alberich is completely desolate at his loss, and places a curse on the ring so that the owner must face misery and death.

The giant brothers appear as the dwarf slinks away, pulling Freia along with them. Fasolt has fallen in love with her, and is reluctant to part with the goddess. He demands that the amount of treasure must be equal to her or he will not give her back to the gods. The gods begin to cover Freia with the Rheingold, but Fafner can still see her hair. Wotan places the Tarnhelm on top of the mound and the Fafner is pleased. Fasolt studies the treasure more carefully and notices the gleam of Freia's eye. The giants demand the ring on Wotan's finger to seal the bargain. Wotan is reluctant to part with the ring, so the giants are about to carry off Freia once again.

Erda, the ancestress of all the Earth's people, appears to warn the gods of her visions of the past, present and future. She advises the gods to avoid the ring, stating that it will bring about their destruction. As she leaves, Wotan reluctantly surrenders the ring to the giants.

As soon as the ring is piled onto the mound of gold, the giants begin to fight over the distribution of the treasure. Loge points out that the ring is worth the whole lot and urges Fasolt to keep the ring but let his brother have the rest. Fafner kills Fasolt to gain the power of the ring, and leaves with the Rheingold and the ring.

Now that Freia has been restored to them, the gods are young and happy again. Wotan names the new fortress Valhalla and the gods return to their home. The Rhinemaidens realize that the Rheingold will not be returned to them, so they sing a song of lament as the opera ends.