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Wagner's Ring Cycle Seattle Opera House
CAST
The Cast
List - Wagner's Ring Cycle Seattle Opera
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Das Rheingold
Director |
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Robert Spano |
Wotan |
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Greer Grimsley |
Loge |
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Kobie van Rensburg |
Fricka |
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Stephanie Blythe |
Erda |
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Maria Streijffert |
Alberich |
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Richard Paul Fink |
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The prelude to the Ring cycle begins with the swimming Rhine daughters losing their precious gold to the Nibelung dwarf Alberich. The gods, led by Wotan, in need of treasure to pay off the giants who have built Valhalla, descend into the Nibelung caverns, capture Alberich, and force him to give up the ring. The resulting curse takes effect immediately as blood is shed in an argument over the ring. The opera ends with the gods crossing the rainbow bridge to Valhalla, accompanied by the forlorn calls of the Rhine daughters and dire predictions about the gods' future.
In German with English Captions
Approximate Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
at McCaw Hall
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Die Walküre
Director |
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Stephen Wadsworth |
Siegmund |
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Margaret Jane Wray |
Hunding |
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Andrea Silvestrelli |
Wotan |
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Greer Grimsley |
Sieglinde |
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Margaret Jane Wray |
Brünnhilde |
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Janice Barid |
Fricka |
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Stephanie Blythe |
Part 2 of the Ring cycle, featuring the unforgettable "Ride Of The Valkyries", is equal parts heady romance and high-stakes family drama. Deep in the forest, love blossoms between the dashing nomad Siegmund and the unhappily married Sieglinde. Believing that this union holds the key to lifting the ring's curse, Wotan instructs his Valkyrie daughter Brünnhilde to defend Siegmund in the ensuing duel. The adulterous pairing draws the ire of Fricka, goddess of marriage, who demands the interloper be killed. Wotan defers to Fricka, but Brünnhilde, moved by Siegmund's overwhelming love, defies the gods and protects him. The duel ends messily, Sieglinde is spirited away to bear a son, and Wotan and Brünnhilde have a fiery father/daughter showdown on a towering cliff.
In German with English Captions
Approximate Running Time: 4 hours and 30 minutes, with 2 intermissions
at McCaw Hall
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Siegfried
Director |
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Stephen Wadsworth |
Siegfried |
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Stig Fogh Andersen |
Brünnhilde |
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Janice Barid |
The Wanderer |
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Greer Grimsley |
Mime |
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Dennis Petersen |
Part 3 of the Ring cycle chronicles the heroic coming of age of the naïve yet fearless Siegfried, product of the Siegmund/Sieglinde union. Mime, brother to Alberich, has raised Siegfried ever since he lost his mother at birth, and plans to use the boy to liberate the Nibelung hoard, including the all-powerful ring. A mysterious Wanderer (Wotan in disguise) visits Mime and, after a game of riddles, hints that Siegfried is indeed destined for greatness but also will be Mime's doom. Swords are re-forged, dragons slain, treasures reclaimed, justice dispensed, a forest bird sings, and the power of the gods continues to dwindle as the hero's quest culminates in the discovery and rapturous rescue of Brünnhilde on her rocky ledge.
In German with English Captions
Approximate Running Time: 5 hours, with 2 intermissions
at McCaw Hall
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Götterdämmerung
Director |
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Robert Spano |
Siegmund |
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Stig Fogh Andersen |
Hagen |
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Daniel Sumegi |
Brünnhilde |
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Janice Barid |
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Part 4 of the Ring cycle begins with the three Norns reviewing the thread of destiny and recalling Alberich's curse on the ring. Still smitten, Siegfried gives the ring to Brünnhilde as a token of his love before embarking on further heroic quests. He is soon duped by King Gunther and his half-brother Hagen (son of Alberich) into forgetting his love for Brünnhilde and promising her to Gunther in exchange for his sister's hand in marriage. A shape-shifting Siegfried visits Brünnhilde, forcibly takes the ring, and brings her down from the ledge to a contentious wedding feast where accusations, miscommunications, and traitorous plotting ensue. Just as Hagen's murderous plan is carried out, Siegfried recalls his true love for Brünnhilde, now fully aware of the truth also. She takes the ring from his finger, orders the construction of a grand funeral pyre, and walks into the flames to be reunited with him in death. The river overflows, the Rhine daughters recover the ring, Valhalla burns, and the kingdom of the gods is destroyed. Brünnhilde's sacrifice has cleansed the ring and restored the natural order.
In German with English Captions
Approximate Running Time: 5 hours and 15 minutes, with 2 intermissions
at McCaw Hall
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