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DAS RHEINGOLD by Richard Wagner Characters WOGLINDE, a Rhine daughter (soprano) WELLGUNDE, a Rhine daughter (soprano) FLOSSHILDE, a Rhine daughter (mezzo-soprano ALBERICH, king of the Nibelungs (bass-baritone) FRICKA, goddess of marriage (mezzo-soprano) WOTAN, ruler of the gods (bass-baritone) FREIA, goddess of youth and beauty (soprano). His own libretto to the operas is an intricate system ofetric patterns, imaginative metaphors and alliteration, combining to producehe music in text.;This text provides a line-by-line translation of the firstf the opera librettos - 'Das Rheingold' - a running commentary on the actionnd signals as to when each leitmotif appears.

Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold)

The Three Rhinemaidens are swimming in the depths of the riverRhine, as Alberich the Nibelung (a night-dwarf) enters. TheRhinemaidens tease him as he tries catch them.

Then a ray of sunlight shines on pile of gold. TheRhinemaidens tell Alberich that if someone should forswear alllove, he would be able to forge an all-powerful ring of theRhinegold. They tell this to Alberich because they think hewould never forswear love, as he was so lustily chasing them.But they are wrong: mad with despair, Alberich forswears andcurses all love and he steals the Rhinegold and flees before theshocked Rhinemaidens can take any action.

Elsewhere, Wotan (Odin, the chief of gods) has hired twogiants - Fasolt and Fafner - build him a mighty fortress.Following the cunning Loge's advice, he promised the giantsgoddess Freya as payment. Now Freya is fleeing towards Wotan andhis wife, Fricka (goddess of marriage), as the giants appear:the fortress is completed and they want their payment. Wotantries to play time and hopes Loge would appear and find someclever way out of the nasty situation. Donner (Thor) and Froharrive to protect Freya. Donner is about to swing his hammer atthe giants, but Wotan stops him: Wotan's Runespear protects hisdeal with the giants.

Just then Loge appears in a flickeringflame. All gods are angry at him. Loge says he understands thegiants' demand - for who could deny a woman's charm? Who exceptAlberich? And so Loge tells them about Alberich and new might:the Ring and the treasures he has acquired by the power of theRing. Alberich is a bitter enemy of the giants and the twogiants declare that they will take the Nibelung's treasureinstead of Freya. As Wotan hesitates, the giants take Freya awayand demand their payment be delivered before sunset. The godssuddenly feel weak: Loge knows that this is because Freyanormally gives them Golden Apples which bestows them theireternal youth - no Freya, no Apples. Loge suggests that Wotanshould take the Ring from Alberich, since it does not belong tohim: steal from the thief. Left with little choice, Wotan agreesto try to win Alberich's treasure. He tells Loge to lead him toNibelheim, but not through the river Rhine (possibly because hedoes not want the Rhinemaidens to see him, as he does not intend to returnthe gold to them but keep it).

Incidentally, the Rhinemaidens may be his daughters, althoughthere is no evidence whatsoever in the text that Wotan is thefather they referred to.

Meanwhile, in Nibelheim, Alberich has forced his brother,Mime, forge a magic helmet called the Tarnhelm, which enablesits wearer to change shape and to become invisible (it alsogrants its wearer the ability to teleport, but this will berevealed much later). Mime has hidden the Tarnhelm, hoping tosteal the Ring with its help, but he fears Alberich's might toomuch and gives the helmet when Alberich asks for it. Alberichwears the Tarnhelm and turns invisible - and beats poor Mime up.

Alberich has just left when Loge and Wotan arrive. They hearlatest news from Mime and Loge promises Mime they will free allNibelung dwarfs from Alberich's tyranny. Alberich arrives andbecomes visible. He recognizes Wotan and Loge immediately andasks what is their business here. He is told that the gods haveheard of his new might and wanted to see if the rumours aretrue. Alberich boasts with his great treasures with which hesays he will rule the world. Loge pretends disbelief in theTarnhelm's powers, and to prove its might, Alberich wears theTarnhelm and turns into a huge dragon (serpent?). Loge pretendsto be frightened, and asks next whether Alberich could turn intosomething tiny to evade his enemies. Alberich doesn't see thetrick and turns into a toad. Loge tells Wotan to catch the toad:the gods seize the Tarnhelm and leave Nibelheim with Alberich astheir captive.

Wotan demands that Alberich pay all his treasures as a ransombefore he can be freed. Alberich summons the Nibelungs and theypile all his treasures. Loge also places the Tarnhelm on thepile, Alberich is furious, but tries to calm himself with theknowledge that Mime can forge a new magic helmet. But then Wotandemands the Ring as well. He proceeds to take it and lets Logefree Alberich. Crushed, Alberich places a powerful curse on thering: whoever has the Ring will be its slave and is doomed, hewill be envied and hated by others - everyone will covet for theRing. With these words he leaves. Wotan ignores his words.

The giants return with Freya. They demand that the treasuremust fully cover Freya before they are satisfied. After all goldhas been used, her hair can still be seen: the Tarnhelm mustcover that. Even then, Fasolt claims he can still see Freya'seye - but he can also see a golden ring on Wotan's finger: hewants it too. Wotan refuses abruptly. The giants say the deal isoff.

Just then, bathed in blue light, a woman appears and tellsWotan to surrender the Ring and thus evade its dread curse. Sheintroduces herself as Erda the Earthmother and tells the godsshe has seen a dark day dawn for the gods: the End ofEverything. Then she disappears. Reluctantly, Wotan follows thispiece of advice and gives the Ring to the giants.

Immediately, the giants start a fight over how to divide thetreasure. Fafner kills his brother Fasolt, and gets all thetreasure. The power of the curse horrifies Wotan. After Fafner has left, the gods turn to greet their new home.Donner summons a lightning bolt to clear away the fog and aRainbow Bridge spreads out. Wotan is silent for a moment, asthough seized by a novel idea. He christens the fortressValhalla.

As the gods are walking the Rainbow Bridge to Valhalla, Logestays behind them and remarks (aside) that they are merelyhastening to their own end and he would welcome the day he canturn again into his elemental (form) and burn everything. Then,distant singing can be heard: the Rhinemaidens mourn their lostgold. Wotan bids Loge tell them to be silent - but they won't besilenced. The gods ignore the Rhinemaidens and enter Valhalla.

Topi Ylinen (f1toyl@kielo.uta.fi)

Das Rheingold. Music and Libretto by Richard Wagner. First Performance as a single opera. Munich, Königliches Hof und National Theater, September 22, Das Rheingold / English translation by Frederick Jameson ; vollständiger Klavierauszug erleichterte Bearb. von K. Klindworth. URL to cite or. The Ring of the Nibelung: German – English libretto Das Rheingold (English and German Edition) [Richard Wagner, Polina Zinoviev] on *FREE*.

5 free resources – Das Rheingold, Opera of the Month

Loge Friends to thee; from all their need the Niblungen folk we shall free! During the ljbretto the Nibelungs pile up the hoard. It was performed, as a single opera, at the National Theatre Munich on 22 Septemberand received its first performance as part of the Ring cycle at the Bayreuth Festspielhauson 13 August Scene Two An open space on a mountain height The dawning day lights up with growing bright- ness a castle with glittering pinnacles, which stands on the top of a cliff in the background.

But where life ever is moving, still scorned alone was my questioning craft: How quickly grew the dwarf to the dragon so dread! My hands rheingood my feet cannot fasten or hold on the libretto smoothness!

Richard Wagner – Das Rheingold Libretto

In Barry Millington ed. Wotan is forced to relinquish the Tarnhelm, to help cover Freia completely. Fasolt What say’st thou?

Es wird immer heller. Flosshilde O sing still on thy soft sweet song, its charm enraptures mine ear!

Wilt thou get on? Wellgunde A sulfur brand in the water’s surge, in lover’s frenzy hissing loud!

The waves have gradually changed rheignold clouds, which little by little become lighter, and at length disperse into a fine mist. A sudden ray of sunshine pierces the depths, to reveal the Rhine gold. Wotan intervenes, saying all treaties are guaranteed on his spear. The Ring of Truth: They swim, laughing, to and fro in the light.

Alberich tries to hold her by force.

The maidens sing a hymn of praise to the gold, and Alberich asks what it is. In Nibelheim, Alberich has enslaved the rest of the Nibelung dwarves with the power of the ring. Fricka reproaches her husband for having promised her sister Freia to the giants Fafner and Fasolt librehto payment for constructing the castle. Sad at heart hangs Freia, so roughly borne on their shoulders!

Loge But, Mime, to bind thee, what gave him the power? Helft vor den Harten! Rheingild, Liebster, dort liegt die Welt, die du Lungrer gewinnen dir willst: Alberich Loosen my hand to summon it here. Denied Freia’s golden apples, the rhenigold begin to age. Wotan, forced to make a decision, bids Loge accompany him to the nether world to seek Alberich’s treasure. What grief hath Fricka?

Yield it, Wotan, yield it! Fafner dheingold a counter-offer: Fricka Cold, unloving, pitiless heart! Loge asks the Nibelung what would happen if someone stole the Ring while he slept. Alberich Bangt euch noch nicht? Donner Perish then, all things! Wotan violently Peace, thou babbler, Freia, the fair one, Freia needs must be ransomed!

Der Ring des Nibelungen: None can see me, though he may seek; yet ev’rywhere am I, though hidden from sight. Wagner, Richard; Gray, Andrew tr. Loge in a trembling voice My trembling libbretto may prove it! Although it is sometimes performed independently, Das Rheingold is not generally considered outside the structure of the Ring cycle.

Das Rheingold Libretto Pdf Download

Wagner Operas — The Operas — Das Rheingold

Das Rheingold Synopsis

Thou there, go up! Alberich kratzt sich den Kopf. Of Freia’s fruit not yet have ye eaten today.

Das Rheingold Libretto Pdf Reader

Alberich trembling My life, but not the ring! With few exceptions, this generally conservative, even reverential approach — which extended to all Wagner’s operas — tended to be mirrored in performances outside Bayreuth. Parsifal film Parsifal film.