Das Rheingold: Character Map
Das Rheingold: Roles
| Gods | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wotan | God of battle | bass-baritone |
| Loge | Demi-god of fire | tenor |
| Fricka | Goddess of family values, Wotan’s wife | mezzo-soprano |
| Freia | Goddess of love and beauty, Fricka’s sister | soprano |
| Froh | God of spring and sunshine, Freia’s brother | tenor |
| Donner | God of thunder | baritone |
| Erda | Primal earth mother | contralto |
| Nibelungs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alberich | Power-hungry dwarf | baritone |
| Mime | Alberich’s brother | tenor |
| Giants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fasolt | a Count of Brabant | bass |
| Fafner | Fasolt’s ruthless brother | bass |
| Rhinemaidens | ||
|---|---|---|
| Woglinde | River-nymph | soprano |
| Wellgunde | mezzo-soprano | |
| Floßhilde | mezzo-soprano |
- Native title: Das Rheingold
- Composers: Richard Wagner
- Librettist: Richard Wagner
- Based on: Nordic and German legends
- Language: German
- Premiere: September 22, 1869, National Theatre Munich
- Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Das Rheingold, The Rhinegold: Short Synopsis
At the bottom of the Rhine, the Rhinemaidens, the nymphs of the waters, guard the Rhine’s gold. Alberich, the dwarf who has come to meet the maidens, is not taken seriously by them. The Rhinemaidens tell him that the gold of the Rhine can be turned into a ring by one who has given up love, and with the ring, he can rule the world. Alberich steals the Rhine gold. Alberich paid the price of being loved by no one and turned the Rhine’s gold into a ring.
Wotan asked his giant brother to build the castle of the gods. He promised them that the goddess Freia would give them in reward. They completed and came to receive. But the gods cannot hand Freia over to the giants. Freia is the goddess who grows the golden apple that rejuvenates the gods.
Wotan asks Loge, the god of fire, for advice. Wotan and Loge go to where Alberich is. They then trap Alberich. Wotan obtains a ring made of Rhine gold and Alberich’s treasure. Alberich places a curse on it.
With the stolen treasure and ring from Alberich, the gods regain the goddess Freia and take possession of the castle. The curse of the ring causes strife. It became the property of Fafner.
The gods cross the Rainbow Bridge and make a grand entrance into the completed castle, but the lamentations of the Rhine maidens over the loss of the Rhine’s gold echo.