Oper Leipzig 17 April 2021 - Siegfried | GoComGo.com

Siegfried

Oper Leipzig, Opernhaus, Leipzig, Germany
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Saturday 17 April 2021
5 PM
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Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Leipzig, Germany
Starts at: 17:00
Intervals: 2
Duration:
Sung in: German
Titles in: German,English

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Overview

Second day of the scenic festival Der Ring des Nibelungen. The third part of Wagner’s tetralogy, often referred to as the scherzo of the four, is a mixture of comedy and fairy tale. Wagner musically brings to life the elemental powers that first appeared in Rheingold and were so vital to that piece. They form a central theme for director Rosamund Gilmore’s interpretation of the complete cycle. Intendant and General Music Director Ulf Schirmer conducts the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

The Young Siegfried (the original title of Wagner’s libretto) tells the story of the son of Siegmund and Sieglinde, the Wälsung pair. After his father’s death at Hunding’s hand, and his mother’s death in childbirth, Siegfried is raised by Mime. Siegfried tells the story of a young man railing against his foster father, who, though he claims to have the boy’s best interests at heart, is only interested in Siegfried as a part of his plan to claim the treasure of the Niebelungen from Fafner the dragon. Only one who has no fear can defeat Fafner. And so Siegfried forges his sword, slays Fafner, and claims the ring and the Tarnhelm for himself.
In defeating Fafner, Siegfried matures into an adult. He can now understand the woodbird’s song, and its warning that Mime wants to kill him. He kills Mime. He even defeats the Wanderer (his grandfather Wotan in disguise), destroying his spear in the process, and subsequently makes his way to the fiery rock where Brünnhilde is held captive in sleep. His love for Brünnhilde causes him to forget his own mission.

History
Premiere of this production: 16 August 1876, Bayreuth Festspielhaus

Siegfried is the third of the four music dramas that constitute Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. It premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 16 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of The Ring cycle.

Synopsis

Act 1

Scene 1
A cave in rocks in the forest. An orchestral introduction includes references to leitmotifs including themes relating to the original hoard plundered by the Nibelung Alberich, and one in B-flat minor associated with the Nibelungs themselves. As the curtain rises, Alberich's brother, the dwarf Mime, is forging a sword. Mime is plotting to obtain the ring of power originally created by his brother Alberich. He has raised the human boy Siegfried as a foster child, to kill Fafner, who obtained the ring and other treasures in the opera Das Rheingold and has since transformed himself from a giant to a dragon. Mime needs a sword for Siegfried to use, but the youth has contemptuously broken every sword Mime has made. Siegfried returns from his wanderings in the forest with a wild bear in tow, and immediately breaks the new sword. After a whining speech by Mime about ingratitude, and how Mime has brought him up from a mewling infant ("Als zullendes Kind"), Siegfried senses why he keeps coming back to Mime although he despises him: he wants to know his parentage. Mime is forced to explain that he encountered Siegfried's mother, Sieglinde when she was in labor; she died giving birth to Siegfried. He shows Siegfried the broken pieces of the sword Nothung, which she had left in his custody. Siegfried orders him to reforge the sword; Mime, however, is unable to accomplish this. Siegfried departs, leaving Mime in despair.

Scene 2
An old man (Wotan in disguise) arrives at the door and introduces himself as the Wanderer. In return for the hospitality due a guest, he wagers his head on answering any three questions Mime may ask. The dwarf asks the Wanderer to name the races that live beneath the ground, on the earth, and in the skies. These are the Nibelung, the Giants, and the Gods, as the Wanderer answers correctly. The Wanderer then induces Mime to wager his own head on three further riddles: the race most beloved of Wotan, but most harshly treated; the name of the sword that can destroy Fafner; and the person who can repair the sword. Mime answers the first two questions: the Wälsungs (Siegmund and Sieglinde whose tale is told in the opera Die Walküre) and the sword Nothung. Mime has no problem with the first two questions, but cannot answer the last one. Wotan spares Mime, telling him that only "he who does not know fear" can reforge Nothung, and leaves Mime's head forfeit to that person.

Scene 3
Mime despairs as he imagines the ferocity of the dragon Fafner, while "the orchestra paints a dazzling picture of flickering lights and roaring flames". Siegfried returns and is annoyed by Mime's lack of progress. Mime realizes that Siegfried is "the one who does not know fear" and that unless he can instill fear in him, Siegfried will kill him as the Wanderer foretold. He tells Siegfried that fear is an essential craft; Siegfried is eager to learn it, and Mime promises to teach him by taking him to Fafner. Since Mime was unable to forge Nothung, Siegfried decides to do it himself. He succeeds by shredding the metal, melting it, and casting it anew. In the meantime, Mime brews a poisoned drink to offer Siegfried after the youth has defeated the dragon. After he finishes forging the sword, Siegfried demonstrates its strength by chopping the anvil in half with it.

Act 2

Scene 1
Deep in the forest. The Wanderer arrives at the entrance to Fafner's cave, where Alberich is keeping vigil. The two enemies recognize each other. Alberich boasts of his plans to regain the ring and rule the world. Wotan states that he does not intend to interfere, only to observe. He even offers to awaken the dragon so that Alberich can bargain with him. Alberich warns the dragon that a hero is coming to kill him, and offers to prevent the fight in exchange for the ring. Fafner dismisses the threat, declines Alberich's offer, and returns to sleep. Wotan leaves and Alberich withdraws, muttering threats.

Scene 2
At daybreak, Siegfried and Mime arrive. After assuring Siegfried that the dragon will teach him what fear is, Mime withdraws. As Siegfried waits for the dragon to appear, he hears a woodbird singing. He attempts to mimic the bird's song using a reed pipe, but is unsuccessful. He then plays a tune on his horn, which brings Fafner out of his cave. After a short exchange, they fight; Siegfried stabs Fafner in the heart with Nothung. In his last moments, Fafner learns Siegfried's name, and tells him to beware of treachery. When Siegfried withdraws his sword from Fafner's body, his hands are burned by the dragon's blood and he puts his finger in his mouth. On tasting the blood, he finds that he can understand the woodbird's song. Following its instructions, he takes the ring and the magic helmet Tarnhelm from Fafner's hoard.

Scene 3
Outside the cave, Alberich and Mime quarrel over the treasure. Alberich hides as Siegfried comes out of the cave. Siegfried complains to Mime that he has still not learned the meaning of fear. Mime offers him the poisoned drink; however, the magic power of the dragon's blood allows Siegfried to read Mime's treacherous thoughts, and he stabs him to death. He throws Mime's body into the treasure cave and places Fafner's body in the cave entrance to block it. The woodbird now sings of a woman sleeping on a rock surrounded by magic fire. Siegfried, wondering if he can learn fear from this woman, follows the bird towards the rock.

Act 3

Scene 1
At the foot of Brünnhilde's rock. The Wanderer summons Erda, the earth goddess. Erda, appearing confused, is unable to offer any advice. Wotan informs her that he no longer fears the end of the gods; indeed, it is his desire. His heritage will be left to Siegfried the Wälsung, and Brünnhilde (Erda's and Wotan's child), who will "work the deed that redeems the World." Dismissed, Erda sinks back into the earth.

Scene 2
Siegfried arrives, and the Wanderer questions the youth. Siegfried, who does not recognize his grandfather, answers insolently and starts down the path toward Brünnhilde's rock. The Wanderer blocks his path, but Siegfried mocks him, laughing at his floppy hat and his missing eye, and breaks his spear (the symbol of Wotan's authority) with a blow from Nothung. Wotan calmly gathers up the pieces and vanishes.

Scene 3
Siegfried passes through the ring of fire, emerging on Brünnhilde's rock. At first, he thinks the sleeping armored figure is a man. However, when he removes the armor, he finds a woman beneath. At the sight of the first woman he has ever seen, Siegfried at last experiences fear. In desperation, he kisses Brünnhilde, waking her from her magic sleep. Hesitant at first, Brünnhilde is won over by Siegfried's love, and renounces the world of the gods. Together, they hail "light-bringing love, and laughing death."

Venue Info

Oper Leipzig - Leipzig
Location   Augustusplatz 12

Oper Leipzig is one of the most famous and oldest opera houses in Europe. Oper Leipzig stands for the highest musical and craft quality. It is based on active ensemble culture and the promotion of young singers. The program ranges from opera, opera, operetta, musical to classic and modern ballet. There are also numerous offers and in-house productions for children, young adults and families.

Oper Leipzig forms the roof for a three-division house consisting of an opera, Leipzig ballet and musical comedy. Located in the Opera House (Opera & Leipzig Ballet) in the center of Leipzig and in the Dreilinden House (Musical Comedy) in the Lindenau district, it has a tradition of more than 325 years of musical theater care in Leipzig. In 1693 the first opera house on Brühl was opened as the third bourgeois music theater in Europe after Venice and Hamburg. Since 1840, the world-famous Gewandhaus Orchestra has played on all performances of opera and ballet. Prof. Ulf Schirmer has been General Music Director of the Leipzig Opera since the 2009/10 season. Under his musical direction, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss' works in particular become the focus of the repertoire.

Performances of opera in Leipzig trace back to Singspiel performances beginning in the year 1693. The director of many of those early operas at the original Opernhaus auf dem Brühl was Telemann.

The Leipzig Opera does not have its own opera orchestra – the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra performs as its orchestra. This relationship began in 1766 with performances of the Singspiel Die verwandelten Weiber, oder Der Teufel ist los by Johann Adam Hiller.

The previous theater (the "Neues Theater") was inaugurated on 28 January 1868 with Jubilee Overture by Carl Maria von Weber and the overture for Iphigénie en Aulide by Gluck and Goethe's play Iphigenia in Tauris. From 1886 to 1888, Gustav Mahler was the second conductor; Arthur Nikisch was his superior. During an air raid in the night of 3 December 1943, part of the bombing of Leipzig in World War II, the theater was destroyed, as were all Leipzig's theatres.

Construction of the modern opera house began in 1956. The theater was inaugurated on 8 October 1960 with a performance of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Since 2009, Ulf Schirmer is the Generalmusikdirektor (General Music Director, or GMD); he was elected artistic director in 2011 for a five-year term.

Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Leipzig, Germany
Starts at: 17:00
Intervals: 2
Duration:
Sung in: German
Titles in: German,English
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