Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung
SYNOPSIS
Prologue On the Valkyries’ rock. Three Norns, daughters of Erda, spin the golden rope of world knowledge, once tied to the World Ash Tree, which was desecrated by Wotan when he used it to make his spear, thereby establishing his rule over the universe. Though the Norns try to keep the rope taut, it snaps—breaking the connection between past and future—and as the Norns’ primeval wisdom comes to an end, the downfall of the gods becomes imminent. Siegfried and Brünnhilde, leading her horse Grane, emerge from a cave. Brünnhilde comments that her love for Siegfried would be false if she kept him from performing new heroic deeds and the couple exchanges gifts to signify their fidelity. Brünnhilde gives Siegfried Grane and Siegfried departs to pursue his heroic destiny, after putting the Ring of the Nibelung on her finger.
Act I The hall of Gunther’s court on the Rhine. Alberich’s bastard son, Hagen, plots to regain the ring for his father. His legitimate half-siblings and the leaders of the Gibichungs, Gunther and Gutrune, have inherited the kingdom and Hagen advises them that they each must marry immediately in order to retain the respect of their subjects. Hagen suggests that Gunther marry Brünnhilde and that Gutrune marry Siegfried. Though interested, the siblings seem skeptical, and Hagen outlines his plan to supply Gutrune with an amnesiac potion which she will give to Siegfried to make him forget his past—including Brünnhilde. Once Gutrune has seduced the hero, they will convince him to woo Brünnhilde on Gunther’s behalf. The siblings agree as Siegfried’s horn is heard. Siegfried joins the court and wholly duped, drinks the potion. The siblings tell him of Gunther’s love for Brünnhilde, and the spellbound Siegfried agrees to disguise himself and woo Brünnhilde in Gunther’s place. Gunther and Siegfried immediately leave to find Brünnhilde and Hagen is left to guard the hall and savor his victory.
Meanwhile, Brünnhilde sits before her cave, awed by the wonder of the ring. She is approached by her sister Waltraute who tells her of Wotan’s resignation to the downfall of Valhalla. Despite Waltraute’s pleading, Brünnhilde refuses Wotan’s last wish: to free the gods from the curse by returning the ring to the Rhinemaidens. Brünnhilde argues that the ring symbolizes her eternal love for Siegfried and that she will never be parted from it. Waltraute departs distraught as Brünnhilde hears Siegfried’s approaching horn. Prepared for her true love, Brünnhilde is terrified when Siegfried, disguised as Gunther, appears through the flames and tears the ring from her finger. He forces her into the cave and lays his sword between them as proof that his wooing of Gunther’s bride is chaste.
Act II In front of the hall of Gunther’s court . Alberich wakes Hagen and encourages him to continue with their plan to ruin Siegfried and regain the ring. Siegfried returns and regales Hagen and Gutrune with the tale of his successful wooing of Brünnhilde for Gunther and announces their imminent arrival. Hagen summons court’s vassals to greet Gunther and his bride with a barbaric feast and as they arrive, Brünnhilde appears humiliated until she sees the ring on Siegfried’s finger. Suddenly furious, she names the bewildered Siegfried as her rightful husband, which he adamantly refuses. Swearing on Hagen’s spear that he is not her husband, Siegfried leaves to prepare for his marriage to Gutrune. Desperately betrayed, Brünnhilde
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makes a pact of vengeance with Hagen and reveals that the only place that Siegfried can be mortally wounded is his back, which she never protected with her magic. Hagen convinces Gunther to join them in plotting Siegfried’s death and to make it look like a hunting accident. Siegfried returns with Gutrune while Hagen forces Brünnhilde to join Gunther in preparations for a double wedding.
Act III A forest area on the banks of the Rhine . An elf has lured Siegfried away from his hunting companions to the riverbank where the Rhinemaidens are playing. They tell him he will die later that day if he keeps the ring, but he laughs and ignores them and they leave to tell Brünnhilde. Siegfried rejoins his hunting companions, and at Hagen’s prompting, Siegfried entertains them with stories of his past. While Siegfried is distracted, Hagen slips an antidote into Siegfrie’d drink that enables him to tell the true story of Brünnhilde as well. As Siegfried tells the story of his love affair with Brünnhilde, Hagen thrusts a sword into his back and kills the hero.
Returning to the Gibichungs’ Hall, Hagen openly brags of his treachery. Gutrune is horrified to find her betrothed dead, and Hagen kills Gunther when they argue over the ring. Brünnhilde arrives and orders the construction of a funeral pyre. Finally understanding the message of the Rhinemaidens and Waltraute, Brünnhilde takes the ring from Siegfried and rides into the burning pyre, united with Siegfried in death and eternally cleansing the ring of the destructive curse it carries. The Rhine overflows its banks and calms the flames as the Rhinemaidens return to claim the ring. Hagen charges into the water to demand the return of the ring and the Rhinemaidens pull him into the watery depths. As the crowd watches the Gibichungs’ Hall collapse, the hall of Valhalla becomes visible as it is consumed by flames.
Washington National Opera www.dc-opera.org 202.295.2400 · 800.US.OPERA