DAS RHEINGOLD (2014)

Das Rheingold (Munich, 1869) is the prologue to the Ring of the Nibelung. In a world where harmony still holds sway, the Rhine maidens (water nymphs) watch over their treasure in the depths of the Rhine. However, it is then stolen by Alberich, the Nibelung, an evil, lecherous dwarf who knows its secret: whoever steals the gold and makes it into a ring will become ruler of the world, on condition that he renounces love. Wotan, king of the gods, advised by the cunning demigod, Loge, takes the gold and the ring from Alberich to pay for the palace of Walhalla, which the giants Fasolt and Fafner have built for him. However, Alberich lays a terrible curse: the ring will bring misfortune and death to whoever possesses it. The curse takes immediate effect with the result that one of the giants kills the other to obtain the ring. The striking aspect of this production is the unique and offbeat staging by Robert Carsen, who plunges us into a world of darkness. Patrick Kinmonth has designed a minimalist set of blocks of concrete and cranes. In their hands, Das Rheingold, takes on an austere, glittering character that allows Wagner's work to appear in all its brilliance.