Opera
Making of the Ring Cycle
See TV listings for this programme
Behind the scenes of the Ring Cycle
Making of the Ring Cycle
Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
Making of the Ring Cycle
Wagner wrote the libretto and music for the ring cycle over the course of twenty-six years, from 1848 to 1874
Making of the Ring Cycle
The four operas that constitute the Ring cycle are, in the order of the imagined events they portray: Das Rheingold, (The Rhine Gold), Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Siegfried and the Götterdämmerung (The Twilight of the Gods)
Making of the Ring Cycle
The scale and scope of the story is epic - it follows the struggles of gods, heroes, and several mythical creatures over the eponymous magic Ring
Making of the Ring Cycle
With beautiful orchestration and an unerring sense of the dramatic, the first opera explains how the Rhinedaughters came to lose the Ring
Making of the Ring Cycle
The ring then fell into the hands of Alberich the Nibelung; Wotan, king of the gods; and Fafner the giant
Making of the Ring Cycle
Each time it changes hands, the Ring confers upon the bearer a terrible curse
Making of the Ring Cycle
The curse will continue until it is restored to its rightful owners, the daughters of the Rhine
Making of the Ring Cycle
Perhaps the most outstanding facet of the monumental work is its sheer length: a full performance of the cycle takes place over four nights at the opera, with a total playing time of about 15 hours
Making of the Ring Cycle
The first and shortest opera, Das Rheingold, typically lasts two and a half hours, while the final and longest, Götterdämmerung, takes up four and a half hours
Making of the Ring Cycle
The actress Amalie Materna was the first to play Bayreuth Brünnhilde in the 19th century and performed with Cocotte, a horse donated by King Ludwig to play her horse Grane
We bring you the largest ever dramatic opera work written in unforgettable performances by La Fura dels Baus - tune in for The Making of the Ring Cycle and the full length operas throughout this Easter on Sky Arts 2 HD
There’s no doubt about it: the Catalan city of Valencia is setting new accents in 21st-century opera not only with its spectacular new theatre designed by Santiago Calatrava, but also with its visually transfixing production of Wagner’s “Ring” staged by Carlos Padrissa and his theatre group La Fura dels Baus.
The Ring Cycle is Richard Wagner’s huge operatic masterpiece, monumental in its scope, concept and execution. The four operas were over 25 years in the making and tell a story of greed, love, loyalty, murder and ultimately redemption.
The Barcelona-based La Fura dels Baus blends music, dance, acrobatics and technology into unforgettable stage events of sometimes raw but always captivating power. The Fura made its breakthrough in the classical establishment with its production of Berlioz’s “La damnation de Faust” at the 1999 Salzburg Festival and their fertile visual fantasy and endless combinations of savvy video technology, lighting and props -often formed of human beings- are predestined for Wagner’s visionary expressive world.
Ring Cycle operas
The Ring Cycle consists of four operas; Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. Wagner drew inspiration for the mammoth storylines from Nordic and German sagas and poems, but the text for the cycle was in fact written in reverse.
Wagner completed the libretto for Götterdämmerung in 1850 but before starting to compose the music, he realised the events of the work needed to be explained more. So he wrote the libretto for Siegfried, which in turn led him to write Die Walküre to explain the events leading to the birth of Siegfried. Das Rheingold came last, the prequel with the background to all three.
The libretti for all four operas were completed by 1853, but while Wagner began composing Das Rheingold the same year, he took his time finishing the cycle – it was finally completed in 1874. Or perhaps we’re being unfair on Wagner here; he did take a break between 1857 to 1869 to complete two other operatic masterpieces, Tristan und Isolde and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. The first performance of the completed cycle took place in 1876.
The plot of the cycle revolves around a magic ring that grants the power to rule the world. During the four operas, mythic figures struggle for its possession in an orchestral, vocal and theatrical portrayal of war between gods and mortals for control of the earth.
Making of The Ring Cycle - 7:30pm throughout Easter on Sky Arts 2/HD
This programme uncovers the secrets behind the scenes of La Fura dels Baus' majestic production of the Ring Cycle. We discover how the cast, orchestra, designers and director produced one of the most elaborate operas to date.
More on the Ring Cycle operas - 8pm throughout Easter on Sky Arts 2/HD
If you like this then try these...
Bookmark this page...
* Required fields
Latest comments